b"PLANT BREEDER PROFILEBreeding Barley in the Heartof Cattle CountryYadeta Kabeta runs Canadas only dedicated feed and forage barley breeding program in Canada at FCDC.ALBERTA IS KNOWN as cattle country. The Rocky Mountain province is recognized for its sprawling cattle ranches and legendary rodeos such as the Calgary Stampede. So, its no surprise Canadas only purpose dedicated feed and forage barley breeding program is located in the wild rose province.FCDC is really the only dedicated feed and forage program that exists across Canada. There's a few bits and pieces that happen at other breeding facilities, but to have that focus on feed and forage within the province and within the country is really valuable to our industry, Karin Schmid, the lead for beef production and extension with the Alberta Beef Producers, explains in a phone interview.At the helm of the feed and forage barley breeding program at the Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) at Olds College is Yadeta Kabeta. The plant breeder has been working at FCDC breeding barley since 2008.We're really situated in the right place. The livestock industry is so big in Alberta. And really, feed is important, both feed and forage are important for the livestock industry. So, this gives us the opportunity to work with hand in hand with the industry, he says in a phone interview.For Kabeta breeding barley in a province that runs on the crop is what drives his breeding work.Just a Country Boy Yadeta Kabeta, head of the feed and forage barley breeding program at the Field Kabeta was raised in Ethiopia on a mixed livestock and grainCrop Development Centre at Olds College.PHOTO: OLDS COLLEGEfarm. He would help on the farm where he could, weeding crops by hand, taking care of the animals and assisting withvisit an international plant breeding centre in Syria. While there harvest. he met a researcher from Canada, the two formed a friendship Farming back in Ethiopia is quite different compared to theand afterwards Kabeta asked if he could study for his PhD under farming here, he explains. Things are changing a bit, but backhim at the University of Saskatchewans Crop Development then it was really manual. The farms are actually much smallerCentre. Kabeta didnt study under this researcher, but under athe family can handle it and people rely on farm familycolleague whos research interests better lined up with his studies.labour. Kabeta started at the U of S in 2002and spent the following Growing up on the farm he knew he wanted to work infive plus years there, first as a PhD student and then as a agriculture, so when he was old enough, he applied to Alemayapostdoctoral fellow. He studied pulse crop breeding while University of Agriculture. During his third year of school, hethere. Following his studies, Kabeta started applying for plant found himself becoming interested in plant breeding.breeding positions including as the feed and forage barley I really liked plant genetics, how the genes work, and howbreeder at the Field Crop Development Centre in Lacombe, Alta. the genes interact and the theory behind it, he says.Id just graduated from university, I finished my PhD and Kabeta received his bachelor of science and masters degreesworking just over a year. So, it's a good time to really learn from Alemaya University of Agriculture. After graduation henew things. So, I said, OK, maybe we should take on a new started working as an assistant plant breeder, which lead him tochallenge, Kabeta says. 28seed.ab.ca"