b'MESSAGES | Alberta-British Columbia Seed GrowersHAPPY NEW YEAR!We are now mid-way through winter, and welcoming spring is on our minds. If you havent already, this is the time to finalize your field plans. By the time the warmer weather arrives, and the fields are dry theres a reduced selection of quality inputs.Is this the year for some new genetics? Has the yield of your standby crop(s) diminished, or are you battling a new pest or disease? Purchasing certified seed as a high-quality input could be the tweak to your management that youve been looking for. Talk to a seed grower in your area. They have been growing the newer varieties for a few seasons to multiply the amount of certified seed available. That allows them to see how the new varieties perform.You can get a head start on variety selection by checking out the Regional Variety Trials in this issue. These trials are an independent, scientific assessment of how the newer varieties compare to a more familiar check variety. Once youve decided the traits (beyond yield) that are important for your operation, such as Fusarium resistance or standability, see how the new varieties compare to the check for yield.Cereal yields are reported in three ways. Theres an overall provincial yield, low yield, and high yield category. In spring wheat, the low yield category comes from research sites where plots yielded less than 77 bushels per acre and the high yield category comes from research sites where the yield is greater than 77 bushels per acre. Since these are small plot trials, conducted on uniform fields, and the yields are measured @abseedgrower with extreme accuracy, commercial production would be 15 to 20 per cent lower. So, [email protected] have spring wheat yields around 65 bushels per acre or less, you should look at the(403) 325-0081 varietys performance in the low yield category. However, if you achieve spring wheat yields of 90 bushels per acre or higher you should look at the varietys performance in the high yield category. Balancing agronomic traits, disease resistance and yield in either high or low yield environments will help you determine the potential of a new variety on your farm.Our transition from Alberta Seed Growers to Alberta-British Columbia Seed Growers (ABCSG) is nearing completion. We have new mail, email, and website addresses. You can find more information on our association here, abcseedgrowers.ca. Although the seed directory listings have included B.C. growers for years, we are working to bring you more information from our western-most members. To search for a seed grower near you go to our online seed directory and click on the Find Seed tab at seed.ab.ca/find-seed/ Not only have we expanded our membership into B.C., but we have also become a member of the expanded Team Alberta Crops. Team Alberta is a policy and advocacy group initiated by Alberta Canola Producers, Alberta Pulse Growers, and the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions. Over the past year they expanded their membership to include Alberta Beekeepers, Alberta Sugar Beet Growers, Potato Growers of Alberta, and Alberta-British Columbia Seed Growers. This larger Team Alberta has allowed us to hire a government relations and policy managerReg Warkentin. Warkentin is responsible for keeping us informed, encouraging discussion and input, and guiding us to consensus on provincial and federal issues that impact all members, no small feat!As always, the pages of the Alberta Seed Guide will help prepare you for the growing season ahead. On behalf of our 700 plus seed grower members, we wish you a successful crop year.Tracy Niemela,President, Alberta-British Columbia Seed Growers4seed.ab.ca'