Calgary, Alberta
May 13, 2003

A new report offers crop producers and others a first look at new crop varieties that will fill Prairie fields in the coming years, along with perspectives on key issues shaping the future of crop development and variety registration.

The 2003 PRRCG Report: "New Thinking for New Times," is delivered out of this year's Prairie Registration Recommending Committee for Grain (PRRCG) meeting in Edmonton, Alta. It was produced by Meristem Information Resources, Ltd., an independent, Calgary-based communications company, in partnership with Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF), a major research funding organization for farmers in Western Canada.The report is designed for a broad range of stakeholders, including everyone from farmers and industry to consumers and the general public.

The PRRCG is a major gatekeeper for new crop lines in Western Canada's multi-billion dollar grains industry, says Dr. Mario Therrien, Chair of PRRCG and one of several experts who provided technical review assistance for the report.

The PRRCG mandate is to evaluate candidate lines in three major categories - wheat, rye and triticale; barley and oat; pulse and special crops; and oilseeds - and make recommendations to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on which ones should be granted federal variety registration. "The crop lines evaluated are the result of a decade or more of development and testing, and only those that consistently match or beat the performance of standard varieties are recommended," says Therrien.

The discussion surrounding these decisions provides a window on many issues affecting crop development and variety registration, says Brad Brinkworth, senior editor at Meristem Information Resources, Ltd. "The broad impact of the PRRCG meeting is reflected by the number of industry experts in attendance. In recent years, the PRRCG meeting has become the best opportunity to gain perspective on the dramatically changing world of crop genetics and how it will affect the variety
registration system as a whole."

The 2003 PRRCG Report features two major sections. "Crop-by-crop highlights" provides a listing and brief description of all the new lines recommended for registration. "Variety registration in the big picture" features Q&As and perspectives from grain industry experts, on topics ranging from the challenge of quality assurance, to variety registration system changes and Canada's position on plants with novel traits (PNTs.) The report also includes background information on PRRCG procedures and processes.

"Western Grains Research Foundation sponsored this report in the interest of informed producer investors in crop development research," says Lorence Peterson, Executive Director of the Foundation. "Western farmers invest approximately $4 million annually in wheat and barley development through Wheat and Barley Check-off Funds. It's important they have updated information on new lines in the pipeline and issues affecting their role in research."

The complete 2003 PRRCG Report is available on the Meristem Land and Science Web site, www.meristem.com - a resource for science-based information. Meristem Land and Science, www.meristem.com, features progress and perspective from the best minds in science. It is presented in co-operation with partners in agriculture, food, environment and life sciences.

Complete 2003 PRRCG Report: www.meristem.com/prrcg03/PRRCG2003Web.pdf

The report can also be accessed through the Western Grains Research Foundation Web site, www.westerngrains.com, which includes a broad range of regularly updated crop breeding and new variety information. Producers can request a printed copy of the report from the Foundation office by phone: (306) 975-0060, fax: (306) 975-0316, or email: info@westerngrains.com.