Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112Midge Tolerant Wheat Stewardship Team THE seed industry now has a solid handle on the financial benefits of midge tolerant wheat. Since launch of the first varieties in 2010, growers and industry have been strongly committed to stewardship of the technology that protects a crop from the damaging effects of orange blossom wheat midge. Research can now quantify just what their effort is worth. According to pro- gram evaluation experts, Ference and Company, the net benefits of the midge tolerant wheat innovation is approximately $455.8 million. This finding comes from a cost-benefit analysis report prepared for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “We were really pleased to see these numbers,” says Mike Espeseth, com- munications manager for the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) and co-chair of the Midge Tolerant Wheat Stewardship Committee. “It’s great to see that technology investment is paying off for western Canadian agriculture.” WGRF is just one of the many stake- holders who funded the innovation. The study puts the total development cost of the innovation at $16.3 million, which includes ongoing investment over the next three years. Stewardship Compliance Reviews Ongoing “Putting an actual value to the technol- ogy underscores the importance of pro- tecting it,” adds Espeseth. He is referring to the requirements that every midge tolerant wheat producer commits to when signing a Stewardship Agreement at the time of seed purchase. Specifically, they agree to limit the use of farm-saved seed to one generation past Certified seed, which keeps the refuge at the nec- essary level. There is currently only one midge tolerant gene (called Sm1), which the industry can’t risk losing. The Midge Tolerant Wheat Stewardship Commit- tee works hard to ensure this message reaches growers. Stewardship reviews are another way that growers are reminded of their commitment to protect the technol- ogy. According to Todd Hyra, business manager for SeCan in Western Canada, wheat growers are very receptive to the compliance reviews, which are ongoing. “That being said, there are a few difficult situations that we follow up on and, if necessary, take enforcement actions. It’s a very small number, but they risk a lot for the entire trait.” An interspersed refuge system is critical to preserving the Sm1 trait. It pre- vents the build up of the virulent midge population (virulent midge carry a muta- tion which allows them to attack midge tolerant varieties). Without it, midge tolerance could break down within 10 years and there is no other known source of midge tolerance. New Varieties for 2017 It’s thanks to the diligent stewardship practices of growers that varieties with the Sm1 gene can continue to be devel- oped. Six new varieties are available for the upcoming growing season, bringing the total number of midge tolerant wheat options close to 20. Adding new classes of wheat to the midge tolerant line-up exposes the tech- nology to growers who may not have had a chance to try it before. Hyra views this as an opportunity to teach new growers, as well as previous ones, how it works. For example, seeing midge damage at harvest is normal. “Midge must feed on the kernel in order to trigger the response and turn them off feeding,” he explains. “It is midge toler- ance, not midge resistance. In the case of a midge tolerant variety, sometimes you will see some damage in the sample, but because you are retaining more of those kernels, you have more grain. As opposed to the ones that are fed on completely and blown out the back of the combine.” There are hot spots of midge in Alberta each year, but the industry hasn’t seen any significant outbreaks since the one in Peace River in 2013. “I really do believe in midge tolerance keeping everything in balance,” says Hyra. ”When you’re not spraying out all of the beneficial insects, that allows things to fall into balance. It also allows produc- ers to focus on other challenges when they’ve got midge under control.” Removing worry from growers didn’t factor into the Ference and Company return on investment report, but it’s a significant benefit that you can’t put a price on. Karen Lewis Putting a Price on Midget Tolerant Wheat Innovation Industry and growers work together to protect a valuable technology. 104 www.seed.ab.ca | Advancing Seed in Alberta