Watch for more private wheat and barley varieties

The source for new wheat and barley varieties in Western Canada has always been primarily the public breeding institutions – Agriculture Canada and the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre. However, we can expect more privately-developed varieties in the years ahead. Syngenta has just entered into a public-private partnership with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre to focus on the advancement of technology in wheat. Syngenta Canada President Jay Bradshaw notes that Viterra is already marketing some wheat varieties developed by Syngenta. As well, there is a branded Syngenta wheat variety called 859 being distributed through JRI this year. Syngenta is the largest wheat and barley breeder in the world. The company has introduced hybrid barley in the UK. Bradshaw says it will take time, but he expects hybrids will also be developed in wheat. Once that happens, there is an assured revenue stream as producers need to buy new seed each year. In the years ahead, private plant breeding is likely to become increasingly important in cereal crops, following along the same path as canola. I’m Kevin Hursh.