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 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 11654 www.seed.ab.ca | Advancing Seed in Alberta The two malt lines given full registration were TR13609, a variety submitted by Juskiw that enjoys a yield 112 per cent of AC Metcalfe with later anthesis and maturity, higher kernel weight and per cent plump, similar test weight and lower DON levels than the checks. TR13812, put forth by the Crop Development Centre’s Aaron Beat- tie, is a low-protein variety with the LOXless trait. Opposition to ‘Modernization’ While numerous issues affecting the industry were discussed at the annual meeting, a big topic of discussion was the new streamlining procedures for crop-specific recommending com- mittees introduced by the federal government. Under the changes, recommending committees are being asked to reduce their number of voting members in an effort to stream- line the process and give “Canadian farmers faster access to the newest cutting-edge varieties,” according to the AAFC website. The plan received considerable opposition at the PGDC meet- ing, and attendees were given a chance to express their concern when AAFC representatives Mike Scheffel and Mark Forhan addressed the four recommending committees. Forhan spoke to the wheat, rye and triticale committee, which currently has 75 voting members. Forhan says that while he wasn’t prepared to offer up a specific number in terms of how many voting members the committee should have, he says 75 is too many and should be reduced. “When we set out to come up with this modernization plan, the message that came back was that these [committees] are large, onerous groups that are hard for newcomers to decipher,” Forhan says. “All you’re doing is reducing the number of people voting. It’s totally up to you to decide who gets to vote and what their expertise is.” Ron Depauw, a world-renowned retired wheat breeder who’s now a science adviser for SeCan, was one of many who says he fears reducing the number of voting committee members would weaken the committees and place more decision-making power in the hands of fewer people. “It’s crucial to give people an opportunity to express their point of view. That’s super-important,” DePauw says. At the oat and barley committee meeting, Juskiw asked for a show of hands as to who would not attend future PGDC meetings if they weren’t able to vote. Many hands in the room went up. “Just because this process might be hard to understand the first time you show up, is that a reason to change it? Do we change this process to accommodate that person’s lack of knowledge? Those very people who might have a hard time understanding the process today, in a few years they could be the next chair or secretary of the committee,” DePauw adds. “Winter wheat is not like spring wheat and neither one is like durum wheat. The key is to have an open, transparent and pre- dictable process. We don’t change the parliamentary process to accommodate first-time MPs, rather they are assisted to under- stand the democratic process.” Marc Zienkiewicz Rich Joy, chair of the PGDC oats and barley committee, says the big growth in the brewing industry right now is the craft market, and it’s looking for different things depending who you talk to. Ad Number: SEC_CERT16 Campaign: SeCan Certified Seed Publication: Alberta Seed Guide Date Produced: October 2016 Size: 7.125” x 3.25” Our genes only come in blue. When you purchase SeCan certified seed you’re getting the promise and performance of SeCan genetics. And with certified seed, you’re investing in the future of plant breeding and new varieties that contribute to your bottom line. Make the comfortable choice. Choose SeCan certified seed. For genes that fit your farm® , visit secan.com Genes that fit your farm® is a registered trademark of SeCan. SEC_CERT16_ABSG_SEC_CERT16_SABSG.qxd 2016-10-18 3:47 PM Page 1