|
May 3, 2002
Delivered from inside the Prairie
Registration Recommending Committee for Grain (PRRCG) annual
meeting in Winnipeg. Highlights of the key developments and a
preview of the top crop lines recommended for registration.
Full PRRCG Report on
Meristem Land and Science*
Meristem Land and Science*
has produced a special report for producers, from inside the
2002 PRRCG annual meeting in Winnipeg. The wheat and barley
sections of this PRRCG Report are sponsored by
Western Grains Research
Foundation, in the interest of informed producer investors
in wheat and barley breeding research. Producers can access the
wheat and barley sections by following the links above, or go to
the full report on the Meristem Land and Science Web site.
The PRRCG is the major body that makes recommendations on which
new wheat and barley lines for the Canadian Prairie should be
granted federal variety registration. It also makes
recommendations for several other crops.
The PRRCG decisions not only determine which varieties will fill
Prairie fields for years to come, they put a spotlight on
emerging issues in the crop industry.
*Meristem
Information Resources
12-3109 Palliser Dr.
Calgary, Alta. T2V 4W5,
Phone (403) 543-7420
Fax: (403) 543-7419,
email: info@meristem.com
Wheat, Rye and Triticale Subcommittee
The Wheat, Rye and Triticale Subcommittee evaluates lines based
on agronomic performance, disease resistance and end-use
quality. Here are highlights of key activity at the 2002
meeting.
FHB-resistant Alsen supported for
interim registration to allow seed multiplication
Western Canadian farmers may have their first wheat variety with
good resistance to Fusarium head blight within two years.
In a rare move, the PRRCG recommended Alsen - the hard red
spring wheat from North Dakota - for one-year interim
registration after only one year of pre-registration testing.
Alsen will have to complete two more years of performance
testing and meet the criteria of the Canada Western Red Spring
wheat
class, but if all goes well, it could become widely available to
Canadian farmers in 2004.
If approved by CFIA, the interim registration will allow
Canterra Seeds Ltd. to begin seed multiplication in Canada.
Under most circumstances, Canadian seed companies can begin seed
multiplication before registration. But because Alsen is a
registered American variety, import restrictions and other seed
regulations had prevented Canterra from beginning seed
multiplication, prompting its request for interim registration.
Canterra does have the option of purchasing seed from the U.S.
to sell to Canadian farmers at the time of registration in
Canada, but rejected the option because of cost.
Alsen is not fully immune to Fusarium head blight, but has
better resistance than current Canadian varieties. Alsen has
several other valuable traits and is widely grown in
spring-wheat production areas of the Western and Midwestern U.S.
The line received 49 votes out of 64 cast to support the
one-year interim registration.
If Alsen continues to perform well in the co-op trials in 2002,
Canterra will ask for a one-year extension of the interim
registration, giving it another year to continue multiplication.
Among those opposing the interim registration, one argument was
that not enough quality information was available and no
decision should be until the American variety has undergone all
three years of pre-registration testing. Another argument was
that a decision in favour of Alsen would condone farmers who
have already been growing Alsen, thereby encouraging more
production of unregistered wheat crops. Since Alsen meets the
kernel visual distinguishability (KVD) guidelines for Canada
Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat, farmers will be able to deliver
Alsen into the CWRS system in 2002 if the PRRCG recommendation
is upheld by CFIA.
Agronomy supported as key to
merit testing
Members of the Wheat, Rye and
Triticale Subcommittee voted overwhelmingly in support of
keeping agronomic merit as a requirement for registration. The
vote came in response to the CFIA’s proposal for revamping the
variety registration system, which would remove agronomic merit
as a required criterion.
The CFIA proposal calls for milling wheat to be placed in
Schedule A (i), which requires merit assessment for disease and
quality performance, but not for agronomic performance. The
agronomic requirement is simply to provide evidence that a
minimum of one year of agronomic data has been collected, for
the purpose of making this information available to farmers and
other interested parties.
The subcommittee essentially supported the status quo, including
the condition that all wheat lines, not just milling wheat, are
subject to merit requirements in agronomy, disease and quality.
Many argued that eliminating agronomic merit as a requirement
would discourage rigorous collection of agronomic data, making
it difficult for both researchers and farmers to select the best
crop lines.
Subcommittee votes to breakaway from PRRCG
A motion for the Wheat, Rye and Triticale Subcommittee to break
away from PRRCG and form its own recommending committee received
overwhelming support by the subcommittee. The consensus among
voting members was that the subcommittee would have more control
over its operating procedures outside the PRRCG umbrella.
Since recommending committees derive their status from the CFIA,
that body will have to approve the change before it can be
implemented.
Every crop type is unique, and one of the main arguments for
breaking away was that a recommending committee focused on wheat
would be better positioned to deal with the intricacies of the
evaluating the crop, including the strict quality requirements.
If the breakaway is successful, the PRRCG will still include the
Pulse and Special Crops Subcommittee, Barley and Oat
Subcommittee and Oilseeds
Subcommittee.
Roundup Ready wheat data sanctioned
Performance information from the 2001 Roundup Ready wheat co-op
trials received a stamp of approval from the subcommittee. The
decision means Roundup Ready wheat is on track to enter its
second of three years of registration testing, and lines could
be put forward as candidates for registration as early as 2004.
In 2001, Monsanto’s attempt to establish a private registration
trial for its Roundup Ready wheat was initially blocked by the
subcommittee over fears of pollen flow to commercial fields.
After new guidelines were proposed, including larger buffer
zones, the subcommittee approved the trial by a majority vote.
New vision presented for segregation system
The Canadian Grain Commission presented its vision for shifting
away from Kernel Visual Distinguishability, the long-established
process for wheat identification. The system has served as a
cornerstone of Canada’s wheat segregation system, but with an
increasing number or registered varieties, along with the
emerging potential for genetically modified crops, the
Commission and others are preparing a new system.
The Commission reported that it has set up an industry
committee, which will submit a report this year with the
recommendation to implement an affidavit system. This means
producers would be required to declare the variety makeup of
their wheat shipments, and would then be held responsible for
any misrepresentation. This affidavit system would include a
stringent testing process.
Still, the affidavit system is not a long-term solution. The
Commission said it would serve as an interim measure, until new,
science-based testing systems are implemented. It expects
several more years are needed to fully develop a science-based
system that would quickly and cost-effectively identify the
particular grain varieties in a shipment.
New lines recommended : Wheat, Rye Triticale
Subcommittee
The Wheat, Rye and Triticale Subcommittee recommended these crop
lines for registration. This listing includes crop type, name,
key traits and where the line was developed.
Canada Western Red Spring
BW758
This line, featuring tolerance to the Clearfield line of
herbicides was granted one-year interim registration. It was
developed using conventional breeding techniques and is not a
genetically modified organism. It has CDC Teal quality, and is
slightly lower yielding than AC Barrie on the central Prairies.
In Alberta regional trials, it out-yielded AC Barrie by 5
percent. University of Saskatchewan Crop
Development Centre and Saskatchewan Wheat Pool.
PT205
This wheat matures earlier and is higher yielding than AC
Barrie. It has stronger resistance to leaf rust than AC Barrie
and AC Splendor, but is moderately susceptible to common bunt.
The test weight of PT205 was intermediate to AC Barrie and AC
Splendor, while kernel size was less than both. Agriculture and
Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research
Centre.
PT416
An early maturing, high yielding (similar to AC Barrie) wheat
with excellent common bunt resistance and good leaf resistance.
Its lodging scores and Fusarium Head Blight resistance are
similar to AC Splendor. AAFC Cereal Research Centre.
BW316 (Alsen)
This hard red spring wheat line is widely grown in the U.S.
because of its good resistance to Fusarium Head Blight (FHB). It
is well adapted to Southern Manitoba where FHB is endemic. The
line is, however, susceptible to loose smut. The line received a
recommendation for one-year interim registration to allow
Canterra Seeds Ltd., to begin seed multiplication in Canada,
while the line undergoes further testing north of the border.
Canterra Seeds Ltd.
Canada Western Amber Durum
AC Navigator
This wheat represents the forefront of a new type of
"extra-strong" Canadian durum. It features stronger gluten than
all presently registered varieties in Western Canada. It has
shorter, stronger straw than Kyle or Plenty, but is more
susceptible to leaf spot diseases and loose smut than Kyle.
During the past four years, AC Navigator has been grown in
Canada under interim registration to allow for market testing.
The variety has become established in the marketplace and
received support for registration. AAFC Semi Arid Prairie
Agricultural Research Centre.
Canada Western Soft White Spring
SWS285
This line out-yielded AC Reed by nine percent and AC Phil by
seven percent. It is adapted to irrigated areas of Southern
Alberta and Saskatchewan and is targeted for premium quality
markets. Like most cultivars in its class, SWS285 is susceptible
to bunt. AAFC Lethbridge Research Centre.
Barley and Oat Subcommittee
The Barley and Oat Subcommittee evaluates lines based on a
combination of agronomic, disease
and quality performance. Here are highlights of key activity at
the 2002 meeting.
Agronomic merit supported as part of “holistic” approach
The Barley and Oat Subcommittee voted nearly unanimously in a
motion to support retaining agronomic merit as part of its
“holistic” approach to evaluating new crop lines.
This decision was made in response to the CFIA’s proposed
changes to the variety registration system. Currently, barley
and oat lines are recommended for registration based on merit in
agronomics, disease and quality. But the CFIA has proposed
dropping agronomic merit as a requirement, as part of a major
overhaul to the system expected in 2003.
The Barley and Oat Subcommittee’s holistic approach means lines
are evaluated based on the entire package of agronomic, quality
and disease performance. The vote reaffirmed its goal to keep
agronomic performance as part of this overall evaluation. A key
argument was that evaluating lines without knowing agronomic
performance is a blind judgement that could lead to weaker lines
moving through the system.
New Forage Barley Co-op Trial approved
The Subcommittee affirmed the dramatic rise in importance of the
new forage barley class for Western Canada’s expanding cattle
industry, with a show of support for a new Forage Barley
Co-operative Trial to begin this crop year.
Co-op trials are a series of field tests across the Prairies
that evaluate how new lines perform under a variety of
conditions. Information from the tests is used by the
Subcommittee as part of its decision-making process for choosing
which lines to recommend for registration.
The Subcommittee’s support is the latest indication that forage
barley has reached a new level of demand. As Western Canada’s
cattle industry expands, producers want multi-purpose varieties
that are suitable for silage, greenfeed or grain. Barley
breeders have responded by developing a new class of forage
barley varieties with greater flexibility and feed quality for
western cattle producers. These varieties feature high biomass
for silage, along with good grain yield and quality.
New
lines recommended: Barley and Oat
Subcommittee
The Barley and Oat Subcommittee recommended these crop lines for
registration. This listing includes crop type, name, key traits
and where the line was developed.
Barley
TR262
This two-row malting barley is particularly well adapted to
Manitoba and Saskatchewan. It is higher yielding than the checks
and has lodging resistance similar to Harrington. Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Brandon Research Centre.
TR166
This two-row malting barley yields higher than Harrington and
Manley, with similar straw strength to Harrington. Peeling is
better than Harrington, but worse than two other check
varieties. University of Saskatchewan (U of S) Crop Development
Centre.
TR 359
This two-row feed barley targets the eastern Prairie, where it
significantly outyields the check varieties. It features very
strong straw, early maturity and very high test weight - higher
than CDC Dolly. The line’s spot blotch resistance is the best
available, but its susceptibility to Fusarium Head Blight is
higher than most two-row barleys. U of S Crop Development
Centre.
TR 361
This two-row feed barley is a companion to TR 359 and features
many of the same attributes - high yield, good straw strength,
early maturity and high, plump test weight - but it is a bit
later maturing. Its disease highlights are a flip-flop of TR 359
- lower susceptibility to Fusarium Head Blight than most
barleys, but susceptible to spot blotch. The breeder plans to
withdraw one of the two lines based on performance this year. U
of S Crop Development Centre.
TR 651
Improved lodging resistance is a key advantage of this two-row
feed barley, targeted at high-yielding areas. Highlights include
earlier maturity and equal kernel weight equal to CDC Dolly,
along with higher yields than check varieties. Moderately
susceptible to scald. Developed by Alberta Agriculture, Food and
Rural Development (AAFRD) Field Crop Development Centre.
BT 478
This six-row white malting barley yields higher than CDC Sisler,
and has better test weight than check varieties. Susceptible to
net blotch. U of S Crop Development Centre.
BT 954
This six-row white malting barley was recommended for a
three-year interim registration. Its main selling point is a
very high level of enzymes, which is in demand for
American-style light beer. Susceptible to scald and net blotch.
It outyields CDC Sisler. Agricore United.
BT 965
This six-row white malting barley is also known as Lacey, the
name it is registered under in the U.S. This barley features
strong straw. It matures earlier and is shorter than CDC Sisler.
Disease profile similar to other six-row barleys. University of
Minnesota.
HB 513
Dairy producers in Alberta need a replacement to the six-row
feed barley Falcon, and this lines promises to fill the bill. It
features higher grain, seed and silage yield than Falcon, along
with strong straw. AAFRD Field Crop Development Centre.
Oat
OT2009
This oat line performs very well in the black soil zone. It
features good disease resistance and very high frozen kernel
weight. AAFC Cereal Research Centre.
OT7008
High yields across Western Canada are the main selling point of
this oat line. It yields considerably better than Beaumont and
also features good stem rust resistance. AAFRD Field Crop
Development Centre.
|
