b"CANOLA PERFORMANCE TRIALSDrones are a key tool used for evaluating uniformity of plots during inspections of 2021 canola performance trial sites. PHOTO: RYAN MURPHY FOR CPTCanola PerformanceThe prairie provincial canola grower associations have made the decision Trials Ending to discontinue funding of the current variety trial program.FOLLOWING STRUGGLES WITH the current canolaIt's just getting to the point where the value of the investment performance trials (CPT), the provincial canola growersthat was from Alberta's point of view, and it was from associations have made the choice to end the current programSaskatchewan as well, it was that the trials program that was with the hope of continuing on with a new version in the future.being run was not meeting the needs relative to the investment We do recognize that the program is important andof the dollars that were being spent, Mayko explains, adding is valuable to growers. But we also appreciate that badAlberta Canola was spending approximately $150,000 per year information is worse than no information sometimes, Johnfor the last three years of the program. Mayko, farmer director and research chair for the AlbertaThe canola plot locations werent geographically spread Canola Producers Association, says in a phone interview. Weacross the province, Mayko says. Many were concentrated want to be able to get something that is more relevant and morearound the Edmonton, Alta. area with only one south of Calgary, applicable and more accurate for growers. Alta. They were also limited in what canola varieties were The CPT were an independent analysis of the performanceevaluated in the trials due to logistics and costs. of various canola varieties coordinated by the three provincialMany times the varieties that we had were not necessarily the canola grower associationsAlberta Canola, SaskCanola andnewest or the most popular varieties with any specific region. Manitoba Canola Growers. Mayko adds the trials were similarThey might have been that way across Canada or within a to what growers were familiar with for the cereals and pulsesprovince, but not necessarily within the region there, Mayko says. regional variety trials. There were also problems with the data collection. For two The CPT program has been run by the provincial and nationalof the past three years there was only data available from canola growers associations in partnership with industry andapproximately 30 per cent of the trial sites. Mayko explains this provincial oilseed specialists. Previously, the CPT technicalwas due to mistakes in terms of the protocols that were being committee chair was Murray Hartman, Albertas provincialfollowed such as the timing of sprays for the trials. oilseed specialist. Following his retirement he wasnt replacedCompanies who submitted varieties to the trial had known by the province, with Dane Froese, CPT technical committeethere were problems with the current program before the chair and Manitoba Agriculture oilseed specialist, and hisannouncement was made. Russell Trischuk, a regional technical Saskatchewan counterpart, taking over chairing the committee.services manager for BASF, who sat on the CPT committee, says The data has been published online and in the Alberta Seedin a Microsoft Teams interview the committee had been working Guide spring issue each year. to address some of the issues the program had been facing.In mid-October 2022 it was announced by the provincialImprovements over that last handful of years have been made, canola grower associations that they would discontinuebut for the amount of resources that were being put towards funding of the program following the completion of the 2022the trials, I think the provincial grower groups decided it was growing season. The results from the 2022 trials would betime to maybe step back and take a different look. I was quite published with the associations then looking at other optionssurprised when the decision came down, but think its a smart for independent canola variety analysis. decision, he explains.36seed.ab.ca"