Variety development | Wheat breeding efforts are likely to focus on yield gains in major classes
In the coming years, some minor Canadian wheat classes may be mentioned in the same vein as the dodo bird.
Changes within the Canadian grain industry could make it difficult to breed and market specialty wheat cultivars, said Jim Downey, research and development manager for SeCan.
“I see a prevalence of this kind of conventional hard red and durum varieties over the future, even to a greater extent than we’ve seen in the past, and less specialty type varieties,” he told the Canadian Wheat Symposium, a meeting of public and private sector wheat breeders and grain industry officials held last week in Saskatoon.
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He referred to the former Canadian Wheat Board’s capacity to fund market development by using pool money to subsidize and pay premiums for specialty wheat, such as extra-strong gluten strength varieties.
He said the focus on conventional types will be driven by market demand and transportation logistics that favour varieties of similar protein and quality.
“We’ve lost that ability … and now the grain handling system — no fault of theirs, they need to be profit driven — they’re saying, ‘we’ve got to move a lot of wheat. Our system is built to move large volumes of conventional quality wheat,’ ” he said.
Private and public investment in other crops and other countries dwarfs wheat development work in Canada, but breeders have kept pace with yield gains seen in other crops.
“As a plant breeder, I don’t see a limitation yet. I haven’t even begun to exhaust the genetic variation that’s around,” said Ron DePauw, senior principal wheat breeder with Agriculture Canada.
“What am I lacking? I’m lacking nurseries. I’m lacking hands. I’m lacking people to do the work. That’s what I’m lacking. I think that’s the greatest resource limitation. It’s the investment.”
He said the current level of investment means farmers can expect small incremental gains in the genetic potential of their wheat seed: about a six percent gain over a 10-year period.
Further gains are possible through production practices and use of inputs, if producers can afford it, he added.
The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), which focuses on global food security, says world wheat yields must grow 1.6 percent per year to meet the demands of an increasing population.
“Yields are increasing at a rate that’s consistent with what we’re seeing in other wheat producing nations with similar agroecological environments,” said Curtis Pozniak, a breeder with the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre.
“Many of those other areas aren’t focusing on some of the very strict quality requirements that we breed into our varieties.”
Wheat researchers note the negative correlation between yield gains and protein quality and quantity in the crop. Improved agronomy and a small drop in the desired protein content could allow wheat breeders to deliver yield gains of 10 to 15 percent in that same 10-year period, said DePauw.
He said the protein profile of Canadian wheat, which is known internationally for its quality, could change, although it’s unlikely to occur in the premium Canada Western Red Spring Wheat class.
“What we’re likely to see is alternative classes of wheat, like Canada Prairie Spring, coming on with a different quality profile. Do we fit into other kinds of markets? The market that Canada Western Red Spring fits into … that will continue to be there for a long time,” he said.
“For some of the more price-conscious markets, then some of the other kinds of wheat that we have will fit into their demands.”
