b'PGDC Plenary Highlights 2019The theme of this years PGDC plenary session was Beyond Breeding. Here are some snapshots of the discussion.Oat Whisky is a ThingWheat whisky, triticale whisky and malt barley whisky. Theyve all been made by Saskatchewans Black Fox Farm & Distillery. But the award-winning spirits maker has also tried its hand at making an oat whisky.Want a nice spirit? Use oats. Problem is, oats dont yield a large alcohol amount, says distillery co-owner Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote. She says that while working with oats produces a terrific whisky, the inherent qualities of the grain make it a challenge to work with.Agronomics aside, if theres something she would like breeders to deliver in oats, its taste. I want different flavours, something that sets me apart from everyone John Cote and Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote are the founders of Black Fox else. Thats what will help us make breeders more money. Farm & Distillery.She says grain varieties with a unique flavourAustralian Variety Trial Model Offers Possible component would be highly prized by distillers likeAlternativeherself.Jason Reinheimer, senior breeder for Limagrain Cereals We can charge consumers more for unique flavour.Research Canada, spoke about Australias Variety Right now, everyone is excited about heritage varieties.Registration Trials (NVT) system. Reinheimer grew up We know heritage varieties arent really grown anymorein Australia and spoke about some of the advantages of because theyre not disease resistant and dontthis system over Canadas current variety registration store well. But one thing they have is flavour. The endmodel.consumer is who [the product is] going to, and if weThe NVT model is run by Australias Grains Research cant differentiate ourselves that way, then we have aand Development Corporation (GRDC). NVT is a problem. national program of comparative crop variety testing Barley Sector too Slow to Change with standardized trial management, data generation, AC Metcalfe barley was registered in the late 1990s,collection and dissemination. This is managed through CDC Copeland in 2003. Seventy-five per cent of barleyan internet-accessed database that ensures a common acres in Western Canada are still seeded to Metcalfeapproach and uniformity across the system.and Copeland, noted Jill McDonald, executive directorCrops tested are wheat, barley, canola, chickpea, faba of the SaskBarley Development Commission. bean, field pea, lentil, lupin, oat and triticale. Thats very concerning from my boards perspectiveBreeding in Australia is essentially the same as in when it comes to variety acceptance. AC SynergyCanada, Reinheimer noted. The major difference is picking up some acreage, but our market is stillis Australia has no registration system for varieties. dominated by two older varieties. That must change. Breeders get through their testing and make a So, SaskBarley looked at why the sector has a varietydetermination whether a line has merit for the acceptance problem. The key, she says, is to engagemarketplace or not. Once internal testing is complete, a all levels of industry to be involved in advancing newline is entered into the NVT system and that results in a varieties. minimum of two years of testing before it is released to the market.For years weve heard that its the maltsters fault because they wont accept new varieties, or its theThis system ensures farmers have power. They brewers, or its the seed companies fault becausehave independent data and they make the choice, theyre not increasing. Were beyond that. We needReinheimer said. Instead of regulating things that come to move together for this to happen. Were movingthrough the system, it is left open and farmers have the toward a coordinated approach and I believe well makebest information to make decisions on their farms.considerable progress over the next year or two.Fall 2019 51'