Canada’s crop breeding system needs long-term funding and industry support to avoid future gaps in variety development, FP Genetics’ Colette Prefontaine told an audience in St. Paul.
ST. PAUL, Alta. — Decisions being made today about crop breeding and agricultural research funding could shape the varieties available to Western Canadian farmers for decades to come, according to Colette Prefontaine of FP Genetics.
Speaking during the Alberta Seed Processors Managers Association Summer Training event in St. Paul today, Prefontaine outlined growing concerns about the future of plant breeding in Canada, arguing that both public and private investment will be needed to maintain innovation in cereals and pulse crops.
“The clock is ticking,” Prefontaine told attendees. “We need to find a way.”
Her presentation focused on Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR), the impact of UPOV 91 legislation, declining public research capacity and the challenge of creating a sustainable funding model for crop improvement.
Long timelines mean today’s decisions affect tomorrow’s varieties
One of the central themes of Prefontaine’s presentation was the lengthy timeline required to develop new crop varieties.
Breeding a new wheat, barley or pulse variety can take 10 to 12 years and requires millions of dollars in investment before a breeder sees any return.
“A breeding cross made today will not produce a commercial variety until approximately 2037,” she said. “That’s how long it takes.”
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