The Western Canada canola performance trials (CPT) program will end following the release of the 2022 growing season results, Alberta Canola said in an emailed statement on Oct. 18.
In the statement Alberta Canola said it “takes the investments of farmers dollars seriously and after a recent review, it was determined that the Canola Performance Trials program was not fully meeting the needs of our growers in the current format.”
John Mayko, Alberta Canola’s research committee chair and chair of the Western Canada Canola Rapeseed Recommending Committee (WCCRRC) added in the statement that the canola variety registration work through the WCCRRC is unrelated and will continue.
The CPT program had been run by the provincial and national canola growers associations in partnership with industry and provincial oilseed specialists. Previously, the CPT technical committee chair was Murray Hartman, Alberta’s provincial oilseed specialist. Following his retirement he wasn’t replaced by the province, with Dane Froese, CPT technical committee chair and Manitoba Agriculture oilseed specialist, and his his Saskatchewan counterpart, taking over chairing the committee. The data was published online and in the Alberta Seed Guide spring issue each year.
