SASKATOON – If you farm, chances are you’ve grown one of the crops developed at Saskatoon’s Crop Development Centre.
This year the centre at the University of Saskatchewan set a record by having 15 new crop varieties registered in a single year. Normally a breeding organization will have only three or four varieties receive registration.
“I think it would be a Canadian record,” said researcher Al Slinkard, who was involved in work on seven of the new breeds.
Since 1977 the centre has registered 65 new varieties. One of the most famous is the two-row malting variety, Harrington. It has netted farmers almost $100 million since its registration in 1981.
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Calibre oats, one of the most widely grown oat varieties, was also developed at the centre.
Years to develop
It takes up to 15 years to develop a new variety. That’s why it’s so incredible that the six plant breeders at the centre have been so prolific. Two breeders were laid off last year during budget cutbacks.
One of the reasons for the increased number was concentration on niche market varieties, said Slinkard. This year two lentil, two pea, two bean and a fababean variety were released.
“The niche market varieties all came on the market at once,” said Slinkard.
The centre has also released a two-row hulless waxy barley, a six-row hulless semi-dwarf barley, a two-row feed barley, a two-row, semi-dwarf malting barley, a two-row malting barley, a six-row malting barley and an oat variety.
Royalties from seed sales go towards funding ongoing research.
