Todd Hyra can’t speak for the entire grain industry, but as far as SeCan is concerned, its western business manager says there’s no such thing as a “Version 2.0” of any of the varieties it distributes.

“By the time a new variety lands with us it’s been through eight to 10 years of trials and then through the registration system for three years. And so we’re already 12 years into a variety’s development process,” said Hyra at Ag in Motion 2024, held July 16-18 near Langham, Saskatchewan.

It’s farmer seed growers that make the call as to whether a variety is going to work or not, he said.

“The real magic in our system is the fact that our seed growers will multiply those for two more years under full-on field conditions. They’ll grow them with commercial equipment on their land in the area where they’re going to be sold.”

“And so it’s our farmer seed growers that are the ones that grow, process and sell these varieties locally that provide the final proof. And if they work for them on their farm those last two, three years of production, then the bugs are pretty much out.”

That doesn’t mean a variety is perfect, but it’s been through such a rigourous process that it’s as perfect as it’s going to get, said Hyra.

“There’s always an environmental curveball that will come your way that you may not see coming; some disease or something that you might not have ever expected,” he said.

“But for the most part, it’s that last three years of full-on commercial production by a local seed grower that provides the proof. And if they don’t work for the seed growers, they’ll quite often kill off a variety before they’re ever going to go commercial. If they like it, then their customers can be assured that it’s going to work in their area.”

The post Seed growers offer proof that new varieties will work, says SeCan manager appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“The investment of $5.7 million will help grain producers in Ontario and across the country keep their businesses strong and competitive,” Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield said at the funding announcement at Woodrill Farms Ltd. “Every dollar that we invest in research puts almost $33 in the producers’ pocket, and that’s a pretty good return on investment.”

The Cropping Systems Cluster will be led by the Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance (CFCRA) and funding is provided through the AgriScience Program – Clusters Component, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP).

The funding will be matched by an additional $4.8 million from industry for a total investment of up to $10.5 million over five years.

The funding supports research exploring environmental and economic impacts of crop rotations integrating soybean, corn and oats, reduction of business risk through secure rotational crops, bolstering Canada’s economy and food supply in the face of climate change for generations to come, Longfield said.

“The research is going to include developing new varieties that meet the quality demands of processors and consumers and new short-season soybean varieties,” he said. “Activities will also explore how diverse crop rotations can play a central role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and how better genetics, land management and fertilizer use can improve nitrogen use efficiency to protect the environment.”

Longfield said last year, Ontario farm cash receipts for soybeans, corn and oats hit $4.2 billion, which is half of Canada’s total farm cash receipts. This is especially significant given Ontario leads in corn production and oat processing and is the birthplace of Canadian-grown soybeans.

Josh Cowan, CFCRA vice-president, said the five research initiatives have already been vetted, approved and collaborated with institutions across Canada and several stakeholders from seed to processing.

“When you look at a breeding program, it doesn’t start and stop at any point in time, but you’re constantly evaluating what you need to do and trying to improve,” explained Cowan. “So there’ll be variety releases throughout the course of the five years, as those breeding programs continue to evolve.”

Greg Hannam, co-owner of Woodrill Farms Ltd. and a director at SeCan, said plant breeding projects crops for corn, soybeans and oats bring will bring new varieties with better disease packages, stress tolerance and beneficial end-user properties to the market and provide the foundation for on-farm profitability and environmental stewardship.

Federal investment in grain research is critical because individual farms and farm associations are limited in what they can achieve. Thin profit margins hinder project financing, Hannam said.

“The opportunity to partner with government and other organizations to be able to scale research up and get more of them going,” he said. “I’m optimistic, excited and there’s comfort there as well. Because we have this (breeding research) going on, I can focus my energies on other things and other research activities.”

Grain Farmers of Ontario CEO Crosby Devitt said the investments in corn, oat, and soybean research through the Cropping Systems Cluster “will keep these crops profitable and sustainable for Ontario farmers, increasing quality and yields while finding new solutions for environmental stressors like drought and diseases. This work will also contribute to understanding practices that might allow farmers to contribute to Canada’s climate targets. Research is the key to meeting those objectives.”

Grain Farmers of Ontario is a founding member of the CFCRA, and also supports eastern Canadian wheat research in the Canadian National Wheat Cluster.

The Sustainable Canadian Agricfulture Partnership (SCAP) is a five-year, $3 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the agriculture and agri-food sector. SCAP builds on the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the previous five-year agreement that ended on March 31, 2023.

The CFCRA is a not-for-profit entity founded in 2010 with an interest in advancing the economic and environmental sustainability of field crops in Canada, particularly barley, corn, soybean, oat, and wheat. The CFCRA is comprised of provincial farm organizations and industry partners, including Atlantic Grains Council, Grain Farmers of Ontario, Producteurs de grains du Québec, Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers, Manitoba Crop Alliance, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, Prairie Oat Growers Association, SeCan, and FP Genetics.

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“The settlement relates to unauthorized advertisements and sales of PBR-protected barley and wheat varieties,” Alliance Seed, SeCan and an unnamed seed company said in a news release Wednesday.

The settlement “includes the royalties, plus legal fees and penalties,” Todd Hyra, SeCan’s business manager for Western Canada, said in an interview.

“The first thing we do in seeking these is to cover the royalties, but it’s important to note that it’s not just ‘You get caught, you pay the fee.’ That’s not fair to the system or the industry. So many times it’s a multiple of the royalties owed so there’s a penalty in there to ensure the legitimate seed sellers are not penalized by those that only pay when they get caught.”

Why it matters: Farmers need to be aware of stronger PBR regulations that came into affect in 2015 under UPOV ’91, or risk paying significant penalties.

The farm, which hasn’t been identified, bought protected varieties and then chose to re-sell them as seed. It also provided custom seeding services using protected varieties.

“Both of those sort of fed into the infringement,” Hyra said.

The infringement took place over six years.

“It is critical that everyone in the value chain is aware of the rules,” Jim Bagshaw, general manager of Alliance Seed, said in the release.

Under current PBR rules, “not only the seller is liable for damages, but the customer and the processor — essentially everyone who played a part in the infringement. If a variety is protected by PBR it is protected, whether you call it common seed or if you call it by the variety name.”

That means farmers who buy seed from illegitimate sellers can face financial penalties too, Hyra said.

“It’s so important that customers know what the origin of their seed is,” he said. “If they want to buy a new variety and farm save it they want to be sure they are buying it from a legitimate seed seller otherwise they could be opening the door to multiples of loss if they bought some and saved it on their farm for several years.

“We want to get the word out about the importance of knowing the rules, understanding the rules and playing by them. And also it can get expensive. It’s no fun for anybody to go through and we want to try and avoid this by following the rules and agreements that are in place.”

PBR infringers are discovered when they advertise online.

“Occasionally infringers will be turned in by customers who had a falling out with their seller and realized the seller wasn’t selling them something they expected…” Hyra said.

This settlement is three times more than the previous record of around $240,000 set in 2005, he said.

Seed companies prosecute alleged infringers through civil law. This case was settled out of court and the parties made “a declaration there will be no additional unauthorized (seed) sales.”

The settlement was welcomed by Seeds Canada, which monitors for infringers and provides enforcement services to Canada’s seed sector.

This demonstrates the strength of collaborative investigations and the importance of enforcing prohibitions on illegitimate seed sales and inclusion custom seeding, Seeds Canada said in a news release Thursday.

“This news strengthens the role of Seeds Canada services,” Lorne Hadley, Seeds Canada’s director of intellectual property protection, said in the release. “We continue to work on behalf of our members and support their willingness to pursue special cases due to infringer or infringing use.”

— Allan Dawson is a reporter for the Manitoba Co-operator at Miami, Man.

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Some farmers and seed industry officials suspect Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) variety development work, along with many other programs, will be on the chopping block post-COVID-19 as the government tackles its biggest budget deficit since the Second World War.

“We are serious when we say that we believe science and innovation is important and we want to continue investing in that,” Bibeau said during an online session with several CFWF members.

In late 2018 the federal government started consulting with farmers about a seed industry proposal to implement either an end point or trailing royalty to collect additional money from farmers to encourage private and public plant breeders to produce even more improved varieties.

It’s commonly referred to as ‘value creation.’ The argument is that while farmers would pay more for seed, they would also be more profitable.

A lot of farmers oppose both options, saying if they have to pay more they want some control over both how their money is spent and the varieties that spring from it.

The consultations stalled and COVID hit, becoming the government’s main focus.

“The idea (of the consultations) was to find the best approach working closely with the industry, but no way was it the intention to get the government out of these investments,” Bibeau said.

Despite Bibeau’s reassurance, government priorities sometimes change and so do governments.

Publicly developed varieties, including AAFC’s, currently make up most of what SeCan, a not-for-profit seed distribution company, sells.

No entity supports public plant breeding more than SeCan, its business manager for Western Canada, Todd Hyra, said in a recent interview. But he also noted AAFC’s plant breeding funding has been declining for years.

The status quo in plant breeding wasn’t sustainable even before COVID-19, Tyler McCann, interim executive director of the Canadian Seed Trade Association, said in an interview Aug. 11.

Should the government stop or curtail plant breeding, farmers will need private plant breeders to step up, Hyra said.

— Allan Dawson is a reporter for the Manitoba Co-operator at Miami, Man.

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Poring over the new Alberta Seed Guide may feel a little like flipping through the Sears Wish Book as a kid — but how do you know if you’re picking a superstar or a stinker?

“Superstar is in the eye of the beholder,” said Trent Whiting, Alberta and B.C. marketing rep for SeCan. “Across all crop kinds, there are a lot of fabulous varieties. Everybody has really, really good genetics out there right now. So it’s got to be tailored to what works best in your operation.”

And just like you wouldn’t get rid of your old toys on Christmas Day to make room for the new, you’ve got to be sure that the new variety you’re getting is better than the one you’re currently growing.

“My recommendation for anybody trying something new is, don’t toss out the old one that you’re growing unless you really, really don’t like it,” said Whiting. “What you’re growing might be the best fit for your operation, so you need to compare it against the new.”

One of the mistakes producers make in picking a new variety is looking at all the shiny bells and whistles that a new variety may offer — higher yield, better standability, improved disease resistance — while forgetting about the benefits of their current variety.

“Sometimes people knee-jerk switch from one variety to another because of one problem they had, and then they’ll get into something that will cause them a different problem,” said Greg Stamp, head of seed sales for Stamp Seeds.

So when picking a new variety, you’ve got to think about not only what you’re trying to get away from, but also what you’re trying to move toward.

“You’ve always got to ask yourself when you’re growing something new, what’s next year going to look like?” said Whiting. “Some of it is crystal-balling, but some of it is making sure you have your rotations in place and trying not to chase the market, as hard as that is.

“It’s about trying to do just a little bit better for next year.”

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t try a new variety, he added. While it’s possible to get a sense of how a variety will perform on a given operation based on regional variety trial results, “Alberta is such a huge geography” and it can be hard to predict how they’ll really do on the farm.

“You can have a best guess, but you won’t know until you try them,” he said. “So you’ll want to look at what you like and don’t like about your current variety and really figure out what you’re growing and why you’re growing it. Then you can make the tweaks.”

Cereals

For new wheat varieties in Alberta, Whiting is most excited about AAC Wheatland VB (varietal blend) hitting the market this year.

“It’s a brand new midge-tolerant CWRS that stands phenomenal and yields well,” he said. “It’s kind of everything in one package from a wheat standpoint. I’ve seen it a lot, and I’m personally really excited about it.”

Wheatland is a “good next step” for producers who have grown AAC Brandon in the past, as is AAC LeRoy VB, another new midge-tolerant CWRS wheat variety this year.

“It seems like the midge-tolerant wheats — at least the current ones — are market leaders for yield as well,” said Stamp, adding they could replace some acres that were previously seeded to Brandon.

“We’re not necessarily growing them for midge tolerance. We’re growing them because they’re a great variety, and the midge tolerance is coming along with it.”

That’s becoming increasingly important as midge numbers in Alberta start to creep up, said Whiting, who didn’t think Alberta had a midge problem until he harvested a demo site north of Edmonton this year and saw the damage for himself.

“Two out of 10 of the hard red spring wheats had excessive midge damage to the point where it actually cost them a grade,” he said. “I would have never thought we had midge in that area — not even remotely. But it’s out there way more than we think.”

Producers have been somewhat reluctant to adopt midge-tolerant varieties because they have to sign a stewardship agreement declaring they will only keep one generation of farm-saved seed to maintain the resistance for as long as possible, he added.

“The one thing I want to tell everybody about midge-tolerant wheat is that it’s not something to be scared of,” said Whiting. “In Saskatchewan, the majority of their wheat is a midge-tolerant wheat for the last seven or eight years. It’s just good insurance against midge.”

And Wheatland’s sister line — AAC Starbuck — is good insurance against fusarium in southern Alberta. Starbuck is moderately resistant to fusarium, while Wheatland is intermediately resistant.

“It doesn’t quite stand as well as AAC Wheatland, and that’s why I’ve hung my hat on it more than Starbuck, but it’s still a fabulous variety,” said Whiting.

He’s also excited to see how CDC Fraser — a two-row malt barley — is coming along.

“The acreage of it is increasing, and the maltsters out there — specifically Canada Malt — are looking at growing their programs,” said Whiting. “We’re really hoping it keeps the momentum going into 2021 and 2022. It’s a really nice barley. It just happens to be a malt barley.”

Pulses

In pulses, CDC Forest is a green pea that acts a little like a yellow pea, which is good news for pulse growers who have struggled with lower yields in their green peas.

“CDC Forest is breaking the mould from a yield standpoint, in that it’s getting close to the yellows for yield,” said Whiting, adding CDC Spruce is another high-yielding green pea that’s gaining traction.

For yellow peas, Whiting sees CDC Lewochko as a rising star in Alberta.

“CDC Lewochko is a yellow pea that has the whole package — good standability, seed coat breakage resistance, yield, colour retention, all those things,” he said. “The acreage on it is limited right now in Alberta, but we’ll see how it goes.”

AAC Delhi is a jumbo yellow that’s coming out this year, and while its larger seed size might not be for everyone, there are some specialty market opportunities for it, said Stamp.

“There’s an end-user — XPT Grain — that’s real big on the jumbo yellow program.”

Stamp also has three new fababean varieties he’s excited about this year.

“That’s kind of unique for a small-market crop, but they all have different end-users,” he said.

The first — called CDC 219-16 — is a small low-tannin fababean for the feed market and for cover crops.

“It’s a smaller seed size, so it’s easier to deal with while still maintaining the yield and maturity similar to the checks.”

DL Rico, on the other hand, is targeted for the food and flour market because it’s a low vicine-convicine variety, meaning it can be safely used in food production. And finally, Fabelle is a tannin fababean that also has low vicine-convicine, so it has a fit in both the feed and food markets. (Vicine and convicine are anti-nutritional compounds found in fababeans that can cause health problems in some people when eaten.)

“The faba market is growing,” said Stamp. “North American domestic use is much more reliable than Egyptian importing. It’s so much more stable for the farmers, which is a good news story for fababean growers.”

But regardless of which new variety you plan to grow this year, it’s always a good idea to chat with your seed supplier early and get your wish list ordered before it’s too late.

“Seed supplies this year should be as good as or better than they have been in the last few years because we didn’t have the same weather events and, for the most part, the harvest was the best that we’ve seen in forever,” said Whiting.

“But local seed supplies might be challenging, so if you’re looking for a brand new variety, I would look earlier rather than later.”

For a more comprehensive look at the varieties that are on the market this year, visit seed.ab.ca.

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“The basic fact is no Canadian breeder has given permission for their genetics to go to Kazakhstan,” Lorne Hadley, executive director of the Canadian Plant Technology Agency, said in an interview Thursday. “And they’re (breeders) the ones in control. So no Canadian breeder wants their varieties to go there.

“At this point it’s up to the retailers and producers of seed and even commercial farmers not to sell these products to these Kazakh agents that are trying to buy our seed. It’s awkward, but they have to respectively say ‘No, I can’t sell to you.’ They will try all kinds of commercial stories, or offers to get people to sell (to) Kazakhstan.”

The Kazakhs are looking for all types of crop seed, from cereals to pulses and flax and even canola.

“I can almost guarantee you they are going to be looking for anything that looks like it’s new, leading-edge — that’s what they are after,” Hadley said.

The Kazakhs appear to be monitoring social media, he said. When they see a farmer or seed grower posting about a variety they like, the Kazakhs, or their agents, contact that farmer or grower, he said.

Why it matters: Plant breeders’ rights regulations were established so plant breeders are compensated for the varieties they develop. Since Canadian plant breeders have no agreements with Kazakhstan, Canadian seed shouldn’t be shipped there.

In the spring Hadley sounded the alarm about Kazakhs trying to buy seed in Western Canada. “Last spring taught us these people are very aggressive…” he said.

Seed growers, retailers and farmers need to keep their guard up when contacted by potential seed buyers they don’t know, Hadley said. The Kazakhs have engaged third parties, including a Canadian trucking firm and food brokers, to buy seed for them, he said.

“There are times you need to be suspicious as a (seed) seller,” Hadley said. “If they offer you cash, or certified cheque or bank draft at the loading of the truck, and the truck is not going to a farm but to some other facility to be re-bagged — most of the seed appears to be going out of the country in mini-bulks.

“If they are very evasive about where it’s going but they want details about germination and purity, these are all signs that it’s likely going overseas to Kazakhstan and we just don’t want these sales to take place.”

Seed growers or farmers who are approached to sell seed should contact the seed distribution company responsible for the seed, such as Canterra, SeCan, FP Genetics and so on, he said. They can also contact Hadley via email.

SeCan has notified its seed grower members to be wary, Todd Hyra, SeCan’s business manager for Western Canada, said in an interview Thursday.

“But I think it’s important for the general farm community to be aware, whether they be grain handlers, brokers and farmers themselves… and if something doesn’t feel right phone around and ask some questions,” he said.

Most seed growers are familiar with breeders’ rights, but some farmers might not be. Under breeders’ rights in most cases farmers can save seed to grow on their farm, unless they have agreed not to, but cannot sell seed even to a neighbour never mind for export.

“When farmers get these calls it’s really tempting,” Canterra CEO David Hansen said in an interview Thursday. “They’ve got to be cautious.”

Kazakhstan is a major wheat exporter, but its lower-quality wheat usually sells to less quality-conscious buyers. Some farmers have expressed concerns on social media about the former Soviet country using Canadian wheat varieties to steal traditional Canadian markets.

“I wouldn’t be overly concerned about it,” Hansen said.

The Kazakhs are in a hurry to improve their agricultural production, Hadley said.

“This is not about a concentrated effort to steal our quality of grain,” he said. “This is about stealing the performance of our varieties.

“This is about the fact that we as seed industry and commercial producers have to respect that plant breeders get paid for their genetics. Frankly, given the range of products in my mind it’s not about quality at all.”

There is a legal way for Kazakhstan to buy Canadian crop genetics, he added.

“Our encouragement to Kazakhstan is get your seed system and your intellectual property laws up to date and then I’m sure some of the breeders will be happy to deal with you, but not under these circumstances,” Hadley said.

“If you can’t buy it at the front door, don’t go to the back alley and try to pick it up. They are essentially in the alley trying to pick it up without people knowing.”

Hyra agrees. “These (Canadian wheat) varieties have been in the works for 15 years with millions of dollars invested in them and to come over and just take them is wrong.”

— Allan Dawson is a reporter for the Manitoba Co-operator at Miami, Man.

The post Beware of Kazakhs wanting to buy seed, agency says appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“There’s been a growing market for malting soft white wheat,” said Geoff Backman, markets manager with Alberta Wheat and Barley.

“It’s been driven by demand from the craft brewing industry, and that’s a nice value-added market on top of the milling industry.”

In the past, soft white wheat acres in the province were largely linked to ethanol production, and as demand for ethanol grew, so too did acres. But four years ago, acres in Alberta started to drop, falling from around 275,000 seeded acres in 2015 to about 128,000 last year.

But this year saw a rebound, with seeding hitting the 202,000-acre mark.

“The thing that seems to have changed is the growing market for malt,” said Backman. “It really came to our attention two years ago when we had some brewers asking us where they could source some soft white wheat for malting.

“It’s an area that I’m hoping continues to grow, as it’s another avenue for this product.”

But it’s not the only one, he added. In addition to the malt and ethanol markets, soft white wheat has typically been grown for milling and for feed, and those markets haven’t gone away.

“When you combine all that together, it starts being a little more of a versatile product,” he said.

“A farmer can grow it for the malting or the milling market, but if they can’t get it in there, they can run it to the feed market. And if they still have trouble, there’s the ethanol market as sort of a backstop.

“There are more options now for soft white wheat than there may have been in the recent past.”

As a result, soft white is starting to gain traction in parts of the province it hasn’t typically been grown before, said Secan marketing rep Trent Whiting.

“It’s just progressively walked its way north,” he said.

Typically it’s been grown in southern Alberta, with pockets around Lloydminster and Red Deer for the ethanol and feed markets.

But as the craft beer industry has boomed over the past four years, the pocket of soft white around Red Deer has gotten bigger to serve the malting industry.

“There’s a group there that’s been in a sell-out position every year for as long as I can remember that they’ve been growing it,” said Whiting. “We’re definitely seeing more interest in soft white. And any time we see interest in a crop like this, it usually means there’s demand to go with it, and that’s good for farmers.”

First in, late to come off

Growing demand is what drew the Olson family to plant soft white on their farm near Red Deer three years ago.

“We were looking at different ways to start mitigating some risk by expanding into new markets,” said Nikki Olson, who farms with husband Tyler and his family.

And their grain buyer had an opportunity that fit the bill — trying soft white wheat for the malting industry.

“It was a new-to-the-area variety (AC Sadash). It hadn’t been grown here that much,” said Olson, who is also an agronomist with Exactly Ag.

“So we decided to take on a quarter the first year that they asked, and we were quite thrilled with the way it produced for us.

“We’ve done it now for three years because we were so happy with it.”

But growing soft white isn’t quite the same as a hard red (another staple on the Olson farm). The first learning curve is the longer growing season.

“It’s basically got to be the first crop in the ground, and typically, it’s one of the last ones that we’ll end up combining as well,” said Olson. “If we ever have a late seeding and an early frost, it may not be fully mature, and we may lose some quality.”

Soft white is often three or four days later than the latest hard red varieties and two weeks later than barley, so taking it off before the first frost comes can be tricky — “especially for the malt market, where you need the germination,” Whiting added.

“Put it in early,” he said. “The earlier you can get it in, the earlier you can get it off.”

That’s Olson’s plan.

“Now that we know enough about it, we know we have to get it in as the very first crop of the year, and we just know that it won’t be one of the first ones we combine,” she said.

“As long as you understand those characteristics of the varieties, you should be fine. But if you ever seed it late, chances are you’re not going to get in for malt.”

Contracts are key

And that’s ultimately the market Olson is targeting. While soft white has been a fixture of the feed market, the Olsons view it as a specialty crop — one that can earn them a premium while trimming their costs.

“We’re out-yielding our hard red, and the nutritional needs are a little less, so it’s definitely giving us a benefit there — reduced inputs and a higher yield,” said Olson.

“I would definitely look at it as a viable crop in our area. It will find a nice fit on the farms up here.”

But like other specialty crops, it’s a good idea to find a home for it before it goes in the ground.

“With our soft white, we basically ensure we have a contract before we grow it because it’s so limited in the marketplace right now,” said Olson.

“I wouldn’t just go out and plant a ton of seed before you know if you’re going to get a contract. Having your contracts worked out ahead of time like other specialty crops is a good idea. You don’t want to go into it blind without knowing where your market is going to be.”

Whiting agrees.

“I wouldn’t do piles and piles of acres in central Alberta. The market is definitely much smaller, so having an end-use market in place is a good way to grow something new in an area.”

So far, demand for Olson’s soft white has remained steady, but she hopes the market continues to grow as new specialty breweries come online. Once that happens, more acres will be going into soft white wheat on her farm.

“Our grain buyer hasn’t really needed us to expand at this point, so we’ve just been growing roughly the same amount of acres year over year,” she said.

“If there’s an opportunity to expand, though, we definitely would — we’re that happy with it.”

The post Malt driving demand for soft white spring wheat appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

That’s the assessment of seed marketing agency SeCan, which sells at least three SWS varieties now found to have the midge-tolerant Sm1 trait.

According to SeCan, the research to find genetic markers linked to Sm1 since the launch of Midge Tolerant Wheats (MTWs) has now led to the discovery of Sm1 in SWS wheats.

Sm1, a naturally occurring trait first seen in U.S. soft red winter wheat, was crossed into red spring wheats for the benefit of Prairie producers, starting with MTW varieties such as AC Unity and AC Goodeve released in 2010.

Seven official MTW varieties are expected to be released this year alone, bringing the number available in the West to 19.

The Sm1 trait, SeCan said, “was not intentionally crossed” into SWS wheats, but was “part of the background” of many SWS varieties.

The finding, made during genetic marker research at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre, means the affected SWS varieties “will require stewardship,” SeCan said Wednesday.

Affected SeCan SWS wheats include AAC Indus and AC Sadash and the Canada Western Special Purpose (CWSP) variety AAC Awesome. The new genetic marker has also turned up Sm1 in another SeCan variety, AAC Paramount, which awaits field confirmation, the company said.

SeCan said Wednesday it now plans to add refuge seed to all future seed stocks released to SeCan members of AAC Awesome, AAC Indus, AC Sadash and, pending confirmation, AAC Paramount.

“Refuge” seed is a percentage — in this case, 10 per cent — of a susceptible seed variety interspersed into varietal seed with a desired tolerance trait. Allowing target pests to feed on refuge prevents the pests from developing resistance to the desired trait and helps extend the trait’s useful life.

Remediation is expected to be difficult for AC Sadash, which today makes up over half of total SWS acres, SeCan said.

Rather than move to deregister Sadash, SeCan said it plans to work with its members and the industry to add refuge to all seed stocks available “as soon as realistically possible.”

It’s “in the best interests of the industry that AC Sadash remain available,” SeCan said, hoping growers will do “what is right” to protect the Sm1 trait.

The fact that Prairie producers for years have been growing SWS wheats without a refuge already puts the Sm1 trait at risk, SeCan said.

Traditionally, SWS wheat acres on the Prairies have been seeded under irrigation in southern Alberta, an area that “typically has little to no midge pressure.”

SWS wheats, with their high-starch, low-protein profile, have also traditionally been destined for milling, for end-users in the pastry sector.

However, SeCan said, in the past seven or eight years, “we have seen growth in soft white acres into non-traditional areas — to supply the feed and ethanol market.”

Harpinder Randhawa, a wheat breeder with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, recently noted in a Country Guide article that 10-20 per cent of SWS wheat now goes to traditional milling, while the rest goes to industrial uses such as ethanol, silage and malt.

Thus, according to Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan last year outseeded Alberta in SWS area for the first time ever, putting in 420,000 acres compared to Alberta’s 210,000.

With that expanded area in mind, “we need to act as quickly as possible to put a stewardship plan in place for the benefit of all wheat producers,” not just SWS growers, SeCan said Wednesday.

When midge larvae feed on wheat seed with the Sm1 trait, the gene causes the level of phenolic compounds — naturally-occurring organic acids in wheat kernels — to elevate more rapidly than in wheats without Sm1, in turn causing the larvae to stop feeding and starve to death.

Sm1, however, is a single-gene resistance trait, which according to the MTW Stewardship Team “has a history of becoming ineffective over time as insect populations change.” — AGCanada.com Network

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Harvey Marcil of Pasqua Farms near Moose Jaw, Sask., has also agreed to stop making unauthorized seed sales and was expelled from SeCan’s membership, Todd Hyra, SeCan’s business manager for Western Canada, said in an interview.

The previous highest settlement for unauthorized seed sales of SeCan varieties was $120,000 in 2013.

“By enforcing (PBR) and letting people know that we’re enforcing we’re sending two messages,” Hyra said. “One is those that if they are going to infringe we’ll do our best to catch them.

“But more importantly we want to let our plant breeders know that if they are willing to invest in Canada that will do our best to support their efforts and ensure they get paid for their innovation.”

SeCan started its investigation into Marcil’s activities in January 2014. The settlement announced this week relates to unauthorized sales of two SeCan PBR-protected varieties, CDC Bethune flax and AC Strongfield durum.

What makes the breach even more troublesome is that Marcil is a seed grower and was a SeCan member, Hyra said.

“When someone has demonstrated they know the rules and is willing to break them then we need to make sure we show we are willing to enforce and protect our plant breeders’ rights seriously,” he said.

Moreover, Marcil’s unauthorized sales of flax seed could have compromised efforts to flush Triffid-contaminated flax seed from the system, Hyra said. Reconstituted flax seed, certified free of the unregistered GMO variety Triffid, was released in 2012.

“All SeCan members agreed to switch over to the new seed stocks and get rid of all past seed stocks,” Hyra said. “Someone selling old stock could’ve caused harm and prolonged the issue for us.”

In this case both varieties were protected under the previous UPOV’78 international protection protocol. New rules apply to varieties protected under UPOV’91, which took effect last year.

When SeCan’s right are breached it seeks to get what it’s owed in royalties, plus other costs, including legal fees, Hyra said.

Watch for more on this story in the Feb. 25 issue of the Manitoba Co-operator.

— Allan Dawson is a reporter for the Manitoba Co-operator at Miami, Man. Follow him at @AllanReporter on Twitter.

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