b'PGDCWorking for the FarmersPGDC works behind the scenes to make sure only the best crop varieties are brought to market.SEED BREEDERS may be the ones creating new crop varieties, but the Prairie Grain Development Committee (PGDC) are the ones in charge of marking sure only the best of those varieties make it into the hands of farmers.The PGDC is made up of four independent recommending committees who are responsible for evaluating and recommending grain crop candidate cultivars for registration in Western Canada. Sheri Strydhorst, executive chairperson of PGDC, says the committees provide invaluable support to the industry as an integral part of the variety registration system in Canada, providing expertise and guidance to the Variety Registration Office (VRO) of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).This system ensures that new varieties farmers have available will maintain Canadas reputation as a quality grain supplier and it provides protection for farmers to ensure that new varietiesSheri Strydhorst, executiveKelly Turkington, plant pathologist are equal to or better than previous varieties, she explains. chairperson of the Prairie Grainat the Lacombe Research and Development Committee (PGDC) Development Centre, Agriculture and The four independent recommending committees are:Agri-Food CanadaThe Prairie Recommending Committee for Wheat, Rye and Triticale (PRCWRT)Prairie Recommending Committee for Oat and Barley (PRCOB) Each candidate species has a set of registration guidelinesPrairie Recommending Committee for Pulse and Specialthat sets out how the candidate will be grown, what data will Crops (PRCPSC) be assessed, how many years it needs to be tested for and whatPrairie Recommending Committee for Oilseeds (PRCO) merits are evaluated, he explains. The committee members are made up of industry expertsThe evaluated merits from these trials are then voted on first representing farmers, breeding companies, seed growers,by the evaluation subcommittees and then by the entire voting university and government institutions, industry associations,body of the general committee. The general committee will processors and downstream sales and marketing professionals. then provide a recommendation for variety registration to the VRO and the CFIA for cultivation in Western Canada.Required to Register We are constantly evolving what we assess for merit and The Canadian Seeds Act and Seeds Regulations require cultivarsadapting to the needs of farmers and users.Moving the bar for to be registered prior to seed sale in Canada and prior to importagronomic characters, adding resistances to disease and quality into the country. PGDC helps with this registration process byare all areas that are assessed and changed on an ongoing basis, advising CFIAs variety registration office. Hawkins says.It provides a very unique opportunity to facilitate scientific discussion and communication related to the development ofSupporting Structureimproved cultivars and associated research priorities, KellyEach recommending committee is comprised of various Turkington, plant pathologist at the Lacombe Research andevaluation teams, who bring their areas of expertise to the Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, andprocess.PRCOB chair, explains. The evaluation teams are responsible for defining merit, The key to this process is providing a non-biased review ofdetermining testing and evaluation protocols, and assessing the the candidates performance across the three western Prairiemerit for agronomic performance, disease and pest resistance provinces using registration trials, says Glen Hawkins, a seniorand end-use quality, such as milling, protein quality and agronomist and pulse research manager for DL Seeds Inc. quantity, enzymes, and end-use products, Strydhorst says. 30seed.ab.ca'