b'A stripe rust nursery, Creston Valley B.C. which University of Alberta Wheat Breeder Dean Spaner uses to test varieties in. PHOTO: DEAN SPANERSeeds, Parata and Ellerslie with SeCan, RedNnet with SeedNet and Sheba with Penwest Seeds. CS Tracker is an early maturing wheat variety with excellent disease protection and quality properties. CS Jake is an ultra- The plan is to keep the progam early maturing variety with excellent stripe rust protection andalive and viable to compete higher protein content. Ellerslie is an awnless CWRS variety with excellent grain yield potential, good straw strength andwith the other programs and medium maturity. Parata is a very early CWRS wheat with goodprovide a site for a really large grade retention and very good sprouting resistance. Rednet is a very high yielding, FHB resistant variety with standard height.agriculture region of Canada. And Sheba is a high yielding, rust resistant wheat variety with straw strength and good maturity. Dean SpanerIts in the early stages, Penner explains about how the commercial release of Sheba is going. All I can say at this stage were pleased and were optimistic.Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Over Spaners time at the helm of the U of A program, theyWestern Grains Research Foundation. have released 13 wheat varieties. Despite the growing numberAfter spending two decades with the U of A, Spaner is still of fields with U of A bred wheat in them, it isnt an easy time forinvested in the success of the program and plans to continue the program. supporting it for the good of Prairie farmers.As with all agriculture programs in Alberta, the U of AThe plan is to keep the program alive and viable to compete program is facing funding pressure from the changes to howwith the other programs and provide a site for a really large Alberta Agriculture and Forestry handles ag research, whichagriculture region of Canada, the northern Parkland region all has included funding cuts to the U of A. However, the programthrough the three Prairie provinces. And that implies continuing doesnt just receive provincial funding, it also receives fundingalong the same path of improving varieties for production in from the Alberta Wheat Commission, Saskatchewan WheatWestern Canada, Spaner says.Development Commission, Manitoba Crop Alliance, the Natural Ashley Robinson26seed.ab.ca'