Winter wheat breeders say variety registration rules prevent them from producing high yielding, high starch varieties designed to meet the burgeoning demand from ethanol and livestock industries.
Two such varieties of red winter wheat put forward for registration at last week’s meeting of the Prairie Grain Development Committee were rejected due to kernel visual distinguishability, or KVD, issues.
The plant breeder who developed them says he’s had enough.
“We should just shut down all the winter wheat breeding programs in Western Canada and put all of our efforts into trying to get KVD out of the system,” said Brian Fowler of the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre.
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“That would be a lot more productive.”
The varieties were proposed for the newly created Canada Western General Purpose class of wheat, designed to provide feedstock for ethanol and livestock producers.
They were rejected on the grounds that their kernels were visually indistinguishable from Canada Western Red Spring wheat kernels and could contaminate shipments of CWRS.
One of the high-yielding varieties was defeated by a vote of 33 to 18, with three abstentions; the other by a vote of 31-22-1.
A new soft white winter wheat variety from the University of Manitoba was approved 33-19-2, becoming the first official CWGP wheat. Its colour eliminates KVD-related concerns.
Winter wheat breeders say the visual kernel characteristics of red winter wheat are mainly determined by the environment and can vary from year to year.
“Over a three-year period you’re guaranteed at least one year of problems,” said Fowler.
He said there is demand for the kind of wheat he and other breeders produce, but during the past five years, not a single line of red winter wheat has gone through the testing system for the required three years without having KVD issues.
Rob Graf, a winter wheat breeder with Agriculture Canada in Lethbridge, echoed Fowler’s concerns.
“It basically puts all of our breeding programs at a complete standstill,” he said in an interview after the meeting.
“As long as KVD is there, then you’re unable to register anything.”
The KVD issue generated a heated discussion at the normally placid PGRC meeting, at which breeders and other industry officials debate the merits of proposed new varieties.
At one point, Fowler said the fact that red winter wheat kernels can’t be distinguished from red spring wheat indicates that KVD doesn’t provide the degree of quality assurance that some claim.
He suggested replacing it with an affidavit system that would require farmers to declare the variety of wheat being delivered.
Randy Dennis, chief grain inspector with the Canadian Grain Commission, expressed sympathy for the breeders’ frustrations, but said there is no viable alternative to KVD at the moment.
“Winter wheat breeders and growers need some other opportunities, no question, but we need to take this in a stepped approach.”
He said the industry, including the grain commission, is working to develop technology to replace KVD, but that’s not yet available.
Another alternative might be a proven system of contract production of certain varieties that are segregated through the handling system.
In the meantime, KVD remains vital to ensuring the integrity of Canada’s grain quality control system, said Dennis.
Livestock and ethanol industry officials have also expressed frustration with the situation. While saying they don’t want to compromise commercial exports of wheat and durum, they say they’re anxious to get new high yielding, high starch varieties.
Meanwhile, those at the meeting agreed on the kind of disease, agronomy and quality characteristics that will be applied to new varieties seeking registration as CWGP wheat. The sole unresolved issue was whether proposed varieties should be subject to two or three years of testing for disease resistance.
The Western Grain Standards Committee plans to meet in April and sort out details regarding the new class, including grades.
