Breeding and Testing Cereal Varieties for Eastern Canada

Hans G. Nass, Jerry A. Ivany, John A. MacLeod, Richard A. Martin, and C. Deslauriers

The most recent draft of the National Standard of Canada for Organic Agriculture encourages the use of cereal varieties that are adapted to local conditions and that are resistant to the pests and diseases of the local region. The standard also specifies limitations on the use of non-organic seed, and farmers are required to use certified organic seed when it is readily available. These requirements are in keeping with the general philosophy of organic farming, which promotes the use of varieties that are adapted to local ecosystems and that have been selected to thrive under organic systems of management. It also helps ensure that seed has been produced under conditions that meet organic standards.

However, finding cereal varieties that are appropriate for organic production under eastern Canadian conditions can be a challenge. Most cereal breeding research has been conducted in the prairie provinces where local conditions and pest and disease problems may be quite different from those in eastern Canada. Also, since much of the research in plant breeding has focused on selection for yield and performance under conventional management, it is not known which varieties will perform well under organic management.

To provide information on a greater selection of locally adapted cereal varieties, researchers at the AAFC Crops and Livestock Research Centre in Charlottetown are currently evaluating varieties for eastern Canadian conditions. The priority is the development of superior lines of spring and winter feed and milling wheat cultivars through a breeding and selection program that emphasizes winter hardiness, disease resistance, and yield performance. Varieties of hulled and hulless oats that are suitable for production in the Atlantic region are also being evaluated.

To ensure the results are applicable throughout the region, there is extensive collaboration with other eastern Canada breeding programs. The research will also evaluate underseeding with red clover and applying varying rates of nitrogen at different stages of crop development as management practices for milling wheat varieties. This component of the research involves several on-farm trials.

Finally, a portion of the project will focus on the production of organically grown milling wheat, and on the development of management protocols for the economic production of milling wheat under both conventional and organic management.

Author Locations & Affiliations
Crops and Livestock Research Centre
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
440 University Ave
Charlottetown, PEI. C1A 4N6
E-mail Contact: deslauriersc@agr.gc.ca

References:
Nass, H., J. Ivany, J. Macleod, R. Martin and C. Deslauriers. Breeding and testing cereal varieties for Eastern Canada. . Inventory of Canadian Agri-Food Research, 2001.

Nass, H.G. Breeding and Management of Spring and Winter Wheat. AAFC Research Branch, Crops and Livestock Research Centre, Current Studies, Cereal Crops.

The National Standard of Canada for Organic Agriculture. The Canadian General Standards Board, Ottawa, Canada.

Related Links:
The following OACC article provides an excellent overview of plant breeding and seed production for organic systems: Organic Plant Breeding and Seed Production: Importance and Challenges


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