b'MESSAGES | Alberta Seed ProcessorsAT THE TIME of writing, many farmers in Alberta are firing up grain dryers, struggling with lodged crops, and some are even waiting for snowdrifts to melt before finishing harvest. Hence, I think its safe to say that the topic of seeding next years crop is not at the top of your list right now. However, as harvest progresses, observations about the outcomes of particular fields are being made. These observations will impact cropping and agronomy decisions for next years crop. Many refer to the complex process of making the multitude of decisions that this business of farming requires as a Decision Tree. I guess the image of a tree with roots and branches that are all interconnected is pretty good, as most decisions are connected to one another. I believe the root of most cropping decisions is seed. Needless to say, seed is one of the most important ingredients in successful crop production. I trust the content contained in this issue of the Alberta Seed Guide assists in making some of the decisions for next years crop.There are a few BIG topics regarding seed that have recently hit the radar within the farming community. The topic of funding seed breeding activities continues to garner a lot of attention; and so it should, as previously stated: seed is important! Part of the conversation here is the fact that government investment in agriculture-based research is in a precarious position. Seed companies feel Canada needs to create an environment to attract private investment in ag research, specifically seed breeding, otherwise, Canada will fall behind our global competitors.Late in 2018, two models to capture the value of farmers using seed were pitched:(780) 837-1010 one being an end-point royalty, the other being a trailing royaltyor a royalty [email protected] would be assessed on farm-saved seed. The reaction to the models presented at a @HectorOuellette meeting in Edmonton was somewhat negative. I believe there is a lot that went into this reaction including, but not limited to, lack of financial analysis of the impact of the models; fear of farmers losing control; more red tape; and an added burden on already compromised margins on the farm. During the summer, the three prairie farmers organizationsAlberta Federation of Agriculture for onepitched a third model called collective research, and launched a survey with the goal of collecting feedback from farmers on the now three models of value capture/creation. I do not have the answer to this complex issue, but what I do know is that (again) seed is important. I encourage all farmers to be engaged in this conversation, as we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a sustainable funding system for the future. On the topic of building a sustainable seed system of the future, the Seed Synergy Collaboration Project is an on-going dialogue between five national organizations that have regulatory and advocacy roles within the current seed system. The goal of building one collective organization that is agile, efficient and transparent to meet the needs of the future seed system is a massive task as there are connections to various departments with the federal government, as well as amalgamating differing culture of the existing organizations. Although the impact of Seed Synergy to farmers may be at an arms length, farmers need to understand that the Canadian seed industry is at the brink of some very BIG changes. Alberta Seed Processors has been part of an ad-hoc industry working group led by the Alberta Wheat Commission. The goal of this working group is to amend the Alberta Pest Control Act regarding Fusarium graminearumone of the pathogens that causes fusarium head blight. Please read the article on Fusarium, as well as our open letter to Alberta farmers why legislative reform is now required.For 20 years, the Alberta Seed Guide has brought focus on the importance of seed and the multitude of behind-the-scenes efforts in the seed sector that works to bring farmers high-quality seed. Thank you for your support!Hector OuellettePresidentAlberta Seed ProcessorsFall 2019 5'