Future-Proofing Wheat Breeding in Canada: Stay Tuned for our CrossRoads Panel Discussion

the Alberta Seed Guide will host a panel discussion at the CrossRoads Crop Conference in Edmonton on the topic of Canada’s wheat sector and how to future-proof it as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s approach to plant breeding evolves and it looks to partner with others on field-ready cultivar development. Panelists will include:

• Stuart Smyth — Agri-Food Innovation & Sustainability Enhancement Chair, University of Saskatchewan
• Dean Hubbard — Chair, Canadian Wheat Research Coalition
• Robert Graf — Science Advisor, SeedNet and retired AAFC wheat breeder

We will be posting a podcast version of the panel discussion at this link. In the mean time, read our story on this topic from our Spring 2025 edition. For more information and to register for CrossRoads visit its website.

Canada’s wheat industry is at a crossroads. For decades, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has been the cornerstone of wheat breeding in Western Canada. In fact, many of the top-performing wheat varieties in virtually every class originate from AAFC programs, notes Rob Graf, science advisor for SeedNet and himself a former wheat breeder for AAFC who bred such game-changing varieties as AAC Wildfire.

During his years with AAFC, he witnessed firsthand a changing plant breeding landscape where government is gradually pulling back from field-ready cultivar development, and he says action is needed now to ensure a plan can be developed that will allow for a health future for wheat breeding.

“Without action, there’s a real risk of falling behind global competitors. We have to act now to establish a funding model and create an environment that attracts investment and innovation,” Graf says.