Germination Podcast: Recent Episodes
Germination Podcast
Glen Hawkins, seed production manager and pulse breeder for DL Seeds and chair of the Prairie Recommending Committee for Pulses and Special Crops, sits down with Marc Zienkiewicz to chat about what’s new in pulses and what role new breeding techniques could play in the future of the crop. Interview conducted at the recent Prairie Grain Development Committee (PGDC) meeting in Banff, Alta. on March 1.
Hawkins says while genomics tools and new breeding techniques have a lot of promise in crops like canola, pulses are a different matter and we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.
Genomics, molecular biology, and sequencing have made significant advancements in recent years, particularly in canola genomes, he notes. The utilization of genomic information in crop breeding has opened new avenues for improving crop traits, such as yield, quality, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Genomic data can also facilitate the development of more efficient and sustainable crop management practices, he adds.
However, it is true that research in some crops, such as pulses, may receive less investment than crops with higher market share and profitability.
“Despite that, the development of genomic resources in pulses can also have big impacts on improving their productivity and sustainability,” he said. The use of genomic tools can help identify genetic markers associated with important traits, accelerating the breeding process and enhancing the efficiency of crop improvement.
The post Genomics Tools in Pulse Breeding? Glen Hawkins Says it’s Complicated appeared first on Germination.
Dana Maxwell, CEO of Manitoba’s Ag-Quest and chair of the Prairie Recommending Committee for Wheat, Rye and Triticale (PRCWRT), sits down with Marc Zienkiewicz in Banff, Alta. Feb. 28, to talk about this year’s Prairie Grain Development Committee (PGDC) meeting and what leadership lessons she’s learned leading the family business.
In wheat, rye and triticale, there were 19 lines recommended this year — nine Canadian Western Red Spring, three Canada Prairie Spring Red, two Canadian Western Amber Durum, one Soft White, one fall rye, one spring triticale and two winter triticale lines.
The PRCWRT is, at the moment, keeping status quo in regard to its merit assessment methodology for wheat diseases in Western Canada, but the committee is looking at potential changes or updates to the assessment.
“While there doesn’t seem to be any immediate pressure to shift the current merit definition or focus on different diseases, we’re always keeping an eye out for any new diseases that may arise,” Maxwell said.
The five priority diseases that the committee is currently focusing on are stem rust, leaf rust, stripe rust, common bunt and fusarium head blight. These are considered to be amongst the most important diseases facing wheat in Western Canada at the moment.
However, the committee is also facing a challenge in how to efficiently assess candidates for suitability for both western and national registration.
“This is particularly important if a line is supported by another geographical recommending committee and is seeking national registration. The committee wants to ensure that they have all the necessary information to make an informed decision and support what CFIA does as the registrar.”
The post Dana Maxwell on the Importance of Informed Decision Making appeared first on Germination.
Tom Steve, general manager for Alberta Wheat and Barley, sits down with Marc Zienkiewicz in Banff, Alta. on Feb. 28, 2023 to chat about why the Prairie Grain Development Committee (PGDC) is such an important organization and how he learned the ins and outs of the annual meeting over his decade of participation. Interview conducted at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
The post How Tom Steve Learned to Navigate PGDC appeared first on Germination.
By identifying the specific characteristics that affect end-use quality in different food systems, Marta Izydorczyk’s research program at the Canadian Grain Commission’s Milling and Malting Grain Research Laboratory can help breeders develop varieties that are optimized for those systems. This could lead to more efficient and effective use of crops and greater value for producers, processors and consumers alike.
Izydorczyk sat down with us this week at the meetings of the Prairie Grain Development Committee (PGDC) in Banff, Alta. happening this week. She also serves as chair of the Prairie Recommending Committee for Oats and Barley (PRCOB).
It iss a somewhat unusual year for the PRCOB, with a whopping six oat lines and 12 barley lines up for consideration, including some hullless barley lines ideally suited to the food market.
These unique lines offer high levels of beta glucans, which are beneficial for human nutrition, she said. The dark colour of one of the lines may offer antioxidant properties, which adds to its nutritional value. Another line has even higher levels of beta glucans than previous high-beta-glucan lines, making it a potentially valuable replacement for previous varieties.
“The ability to make health claims associated with these lines will also likely increase their appeal to consumers,” she added.
Additionally, the PRCOB looked at two hulless barley lines suited to the brewing and distilling industries. With higher extract and no hulls, they could potentially offer advantages over previous varieties. Because there are no hulls, waste is reduced and the barley become easier to use and the lack of spent grain may simplify the brewing process for breweries.
One line is suited to distilling due to the fact is produces no glycosylated nitrile, a precursor of a compound known to be carcinogenic. As distilleries like to use barley varieties that won’t produce this compound, this line would be ideally suited for distilling due to its lack of hulls and the fact it won’t produce glycosylated nitrile, she said.
Listen to our podcast episode for more!
The post Why Hulless Barley is a Big Deal in the Food World appeared first on Germination.
Tom Greaves, president of Pitura Seeds and the Manitoba Seed Growers Association (MSGA), sat down with Marc Zienkiewicz at the recent MSGA annual meeting to discuss what he learned over the past year as president and what’s in store for the next year of his two-year presidency.
“There’s a lot of different files we worked on this last year. The biggest one is Seed Regulatory Modernization. That’s a topic that’s we’re working on with with national; it’s a huge file that isn’t going to be resolved in the next month, but it’s one that we need to continue to engage with and work with as we move forward,” Greaves says.
“Another big accomplishment over this last year was the signing of an affiliation agreement between CSGA and the provincial branches. It really just formalizes our relationship between CSGA and the provincial branches as to how we work and how we can collaborate as we move forward.”
Pitura Seeds started 2023 off with a bang, announcing today that it’s released its very first exclusive yellow pea variety. The variety, which will be called PS Boost, is projected to be launched commercially in spring 2025. This variety has been specifically bred for the protein market, according to the company.
Developed by DL Seeds, PS Boost has strong agronomic attributes, and has been performing well across the Prairie provinces in both co-op registration trials and regional variety trials.
“When selecting for this variety, there was a focus on making sure the variety had strong agronomics for our farmers, while also meeting the quality characteristics that our end use protein partners are looking for,” Greaves, said in a statement today.
“We see this variety as a step towards building the protein market in Western Canada, which will create opportunities for everyone that wants to get involved”.
Pitura Seeds will be looking to further build its distribution network across Western Canada with seed growers and retailers that are interested in PS Boost, he added.
The post In 2023, Tom Greaves is Going to Keep on Learning appeared first on Germination.
Seeds Canada is about to head to Ottawa for its first in-person semi-annual meeting. An exciting agenda is planned, including a big reveal: three Seed Regulatory Modernization (SRM) task teams have finished their work, and will talk about their findings and some potential areas for change that could come out of the SRM process. Listen […]
The post 3 SRM Task Teams Have Finished Their Work. They’re About to Reveal Their Findings appeared first on Germination.
It’s that time of year again — time for the Corteva Agricultural Sciences Symposium at the University of Guelph. This year’s symposium takes place Nov. 16 at the University of Guelph, and is being held both virtually and in person. The theme this year is Agriculture to People: Agronomy, Sustainability, and Global Impact. Speakers will […]
The post Register Now for the 2022 Corteva Ag Sciences Symposium appeared first on Germination.
The Do More Agriculture Foundation (Do More Ag) recently released its new Mental Health Support Stickers, designed to promote mental health on farms and at businesses where support and resources are needed, according to a release. The stickers will contain a QR code that can scan the user’s current location and offers the crisis line […]
The post Do More Ag Features New Sticker Collection appeared first on Germination.
Andrew Horgan, National Association of Plant Breeders 2022 Borlaug Scholar and Texas A&M grad student, sits down to chat about working with fruit and how an experience with a failed coffee startup taught him some valuable lessons in business. Interview conducted Aug. 9 at the NAPB annual meeting in Ames, Iowa.
The post Why Andy Horgan Wears his Failed Startup Like a Badge of Honor appeared first on Germination.
Sarah Jones is a PhD student in Plant Breeding in the Soynomics group at Iowa State University and a 2022 National Association of Plant Breeders Borlaug Scholar. Studying with Dr. Danny Singh, she researches phenotyping strategies to improve drought tolerance in soybean. She sits down with Marc Zienkiewicz at the NAPB annual meeting in Ames, […]
The post How a College Football Rivalry Inspired a Plant Breeder appeared first on Germination.
Barry Senft sits down with Marc Zienkiewicz for the pair’s first in-person chat. They discuss Seed Regulatory Modernization and Seeds Canada’s proposal to create an independent standards setting body (ISSB) for the seed sector. Interview conducted at last week’s Seeds Canada annual meeting in Winnipeg.
The post Barry Senft isn’t a Fan of Making Small Tweaks appeared first on Germination.
Lauren Comin sits down with Marc Zienkiewicz to talk about why she recently took on the role of regulatory affairs manager for Seeds Canada and how getting her PhD in bioresource and food engineering ultimately led her into the seed sector. Interview conducted on July 14, 2022 at the Seeds Canada annual meeting in Winnipeg, […]
The post Why Lauren Comin is Glad she Learned About Supercritical Carbon Dioxide appeared first on Germination.
Marc Zienkiewicz sits down with Martin Harry, general manager of Ontario’s CanGro Genetics, to chat about the business of testing non-GM soybean varieties. Seed is multiplied in Canada and CanGro sends stock seed to its partners who then grow it and sell the seed to European growers under a royalty agreement. Harry and CanGro’s Ukrainian seed […]
The post How Martin Harry and his Staff were Impacted by the Russian Invasion of Ukraine appeared first on Germination.
Marc Zienkiewicz sits down with DL Seeds General Manager Chris Anderson to talk about his family history in seed and how his career has taken him from major life science firms to the protein sphere to creating value at the farm gate. Interview recorded today at the Seeds Canada annual meeting in Winnipeg, Man.
The post Chris Anderson is All About Creating Value at the Farm Gate appeared first on Germination.
Registration closes for the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA) annual meeting taking place virtually July 6. The meeting takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will be Doug Miller’s first AGM as executive director, he noted in an interview this week. “It’s going to be a really great opportunity to talk about the […]
The post Register by July 3 for CSGA’s Upcoming AGM appeared first on Germination.
Registration ends soon for the first in-person Seeds Canada annual meeting, and this year’s event is shaping up to be a significant one. Taking place in Winnipeg Aug. 11-14, the event will bring together a who’s who of the Canadian seed industry for several days of important policy discussions and networking. “It’s really the first […]
The post Register Now for the Seeds Canada Annual Meeting While There’s Still Time appeared first on Germination.
In this week’s podcast, we sit down with Seeds Canada President Ellen Sparry and Executive Director Barry Senft to talk about the Seed Regulatory Modernization Stakeholder Summit that Seeds Canada is initiating. Seeds Canada says it has identified a need for additional input concerning stakeholder requirements for a future seed system and is initiating what […]
The post Why we Need a Summit on Seed Regulatory Modernization appeared first on Germination.
On this week’s podcast we interview Deus Mugabe, chair of the organizing committee of this year’s 2021 Corteva Agricultural Sciences Symposium, about this year’s event which takes place Nov. 19 and will highlight scientific innovations to improve current farming systems. Sponsored by Corteva Agriscience and hosted by the University of Guelph, the Corteva Agricultural Sciences […]
The post Why You Should Sign up for the 2021 Corteva Agricultural Sciences Symposium appeared first on Germination.
We sit down with Manitoba-based AAFC researcher Tom Fetch to talk about how a team of 19 researchers earned the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) 2021 Gene Stewardship Award for their long-standing innovations and strategies to combat wheat rust in Canada and around the world. The BGRI Gene Stewardship Award is the premier recognition for […]
The post Canada’s Wheat Rust Research Breakthroughs Get Recognized appeared first on Germination.
Manitoba’s Pitura Seeds is has announced that it is partnering with Agro.Club Canada. Pitura Seeds is the first retailer to join Agro.Club’s Canadian online ecosystem, which combines a digital storefront for farmers to order products and services. In this week’s podcast, Pitura Seeds President Tom Greaves says the move creates a new benefit for the […]
The post Selling Seed Online: Tom Greaves on the Future of Agri-Retail appeared first on Germination.
New technologies in breeding have the potential to help bring new innovations to market quicker than ever before. In this webinar, you will learn: Why new breeding techniques are important for a vibrant retail sphere; What new breeding techniques are helping create new varieties faster; How a modern regulatory environment is crucial to enabling new […]
The post Making New Products, Faster: Watch our New Webinar appeared first on Germination.
New technologies in breeding have the potential to help bring new innovations to market quicker than ever before. In this webinar, you will learn: Why new breeding techniques are important for a vibrant retail sphere; What new breeding techniques are helping create new varieties faster; How a modern regulatory environment is crucial to enabling new […]
The post Making New Products, Faster: Watch our New Webinar appeared first on Germination.
Mark Earl Sorrells, professor in school of Integrative Plant Science Plant Breeding and Genetics Section at Cornell University, sits down to chat about planning this year’s National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) virtual meeting. The meeting is being hosted by Cornell and takes place Aug. 15-19, 2021. To register visit https://napb2021.com/.
The post NAPB 2021: Mark Sorrells on the Challenges of Planning a Virtual Meeting appeared first on Germination.
Dave Bubeck, president of the National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) and research director for Corteva Agriscience, sits down to discuss the 2021 virtual meeting of the NAPB and how to sign up. The event takes place Aug. 15-19, 2021. For info visit napb2021.com. The first plenary meeting on the schedule is the Meeting Kick Off […]
The post Dave Bubeck on Why You Should Definitely Sign Up for NAPB 2021 appeared first on Germination.
At this week’s Seeds Canada annual general meeting, garden and vegetable seed importers were made aware of some coming changes in the realm of tomato and pepper seed. Patricia McAllister, national manager of the Horticulture and Grains Section at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, said a phytosanitary certificate will be needed on tomato and pepper […]
The post Do You Import Tomato and Pepper Seed? You’ll Soon Need a Phytosanitary Certificate appeared first on Germination.
Corteva Canada President Bryce Eger sits down to chat about the company’s inaugural Sustainability Report. In it, the company details a commitment to set science-based targets for its greenhouse gas emission reductions. The report also highlights the company’s 2030 goals. He also talks about seed regulatory modernization and Corteva’s work with North American processors to […]
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