During the annual CropSphere conference held at Saskatoon, Sask., Prairie barley commissions announced the formation of the Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC). The national not-for-profit organization will facilitate long-term investments aimed at improving profitability and competitiveness for Western Canadian barley farmers, according to a news release. The CBRC is made up of the Saskatchewan Barley… Read More

The Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) is pledging more than $9.6 million over the next five years to a core breeding agreement (CBA) with the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Crop Development Centre (CDC). The funding will go towards the development of spring wheat cultivars and provide expanded “core” support for the CDC’s wheat breeding programs,… Read More

Are Ontario cash crop growers making effective use of tissue testing to enhance yield and crop performance? The answer requires a little perspective says Jack Legg, agronomist with Guelph-based SGS Agri-food Laboratories. Tissue testing, which provides an accurate measurement of the nutrients within a plant at a given time, has traditionally been used to confirm… Read More

The future of how breeding is funded in Canada is under review and headed for change. The “value creation” consultations created much engagement and debate last winter, where producers were asked to weigh in on an end-point or trailing royalties on new varieties. While some people have attempted to halt the process, others have tried… Read More

According to a recent survey, farmers are requesting changes to the two proposed models of seed royalty collection presented earlier this year by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The Alberta Federation of Agriculture (AFA), the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS), and the Keystone Agricultural Producers of Manitoba (KAP), have taken the past three months to… Read More