b'Adding all full numbers of PGDC are members of one of the evaluation teams.The evaluation teams:Agronomic Evaluation Team (AET)Disease Evaluation Team (DET) Quality Evaluation Team (QET), Cultivar Voting Panel (CVP) for the PRCWRTEach variety or cultivar is carefully compared and must be equal to or better than the check forgrain yield, maturity, lodging, test weight, and winter survival, when applicable. The acceptable limits beyond the poorest check are calculated, resulting in the line being labeled as endorsed or requiring discussion by PGDC. For the PRCWRT, testing of individual varietal lines normally takes three consecutive years, using an approved set of sites across a broad range of climate and soil types in the area of expected commercial production.A standard of eight sites of acceptable grain yield data per year, for a total of at least 24 site-years, collected over three years or more are required prior to a candidate cultivar being considered for merit assessment, Strydhorst says.Through the YearsThis work isnt new, but its becoming even more important as pressures mount to increase production and decrease inputs while feeding a growing global population.The current PGDC came into effect in 2006-2007 replacing the previous organizationthe Prairie Registration andGlen Hawkins, a senior agronomist and pulse research manager for DL Seeds Inc.Recommending Committee for Grains (PRRCG). PRRCG was founded in 1989, with the Expert Committee on Grains (ECG) in charge of the reviewing and approval process before. In 1986resistance packages, Turkington says. From strictly a plant ECG split into eastern and western divisions. pathology point of view, there are concerns that the importance Issues in central Canada and the Prairies can be differentof disease resistance will decrease, potentially leading to and thus the move to separate committees for the prairies andincreasing disease risks.central Canada and the Maritimes. Other issues may be inThe PGDC plays a crucial role in this process, bringing the terms of the ability to incorporate more input and participationinterested parties together to discuss and recommend lines to by a range of stakeholders across the variety improvementbecome varieties.continuum, Turkington explains. It provides a venue for the assessment of lines to ensure that new varieties be an improvement from current varieties For the Future available to farmers and the industry, Thompson says.In 2021, 17 new wheat and triticale cultivars were recommendedWithout the committees, farmers would have to make for registration at the PGDC meetingslightly fewer than weredecisions on new varieties based on data from representing recommended in previous years.companies. Thompson says this is possible, but farmers would PRCOB supported 10 new lines. Pulses and special cropshave to determine whats best for their farms without an recommended 18 lines, which Hawkins said was on the lowunbiased independent information source to use.side of normal. There were no lines recommended for oilseeds,Turkington believes PGDC and the committees themselves which PRCO Chairman Wayne Thompson says is normal.will continue to evolve as needs change. Thats the purpose of We do not expect them to release a variety every year. Thethe group, and what allows for its success with the industry. production area for both crops do not support the ability toPGDC provides critical support of the Canadian seed industry, release a new variety each year, he explains. At the momentand Hawkins says conversations with farmers over past we have one mustard breeding program and one flax breedingyears have revealed to him that farmers have trust in PGDCs program. procedures. Turkington expects PGDC will stay quite busy, as breedersThey see it as a safety net of sorts that ensures that new from seed companies and public breeding institutions work tovarieties coming to market have been tested and are adapted to address changing markets and adapt current priorities.Western Canada, he says.It is an ongoing process, but often we are seeingAnd with seeds as the start to any crop, the PGDC and the recommended candidate lines that have superior yield andstructure which runs it are the base of crops across the Prairies.quality characteristics that are combined with better disease Melissa Shipman32seed.ab.ca'