Western Crop Innovations (WCI) is making moves that could bring new opportunities to farmers across Alberta and beyond. As it marks its first anniversary on April 1, WCI is rolling out new crop varieties, bringing on key personnel, and bringing back its popular field day in Lacombe.
At last month’s Prairie Grain Development Committee (PGDC) meetings, WCI put forward five new varieties for government registration: two feed and forage barley varieties, two spring triticale varieties, and its final winter triticale variety.
“Once this winter triticale hits the market in a few years, we’ll need to find new sources of genetics unless an opportunity arises to restart our winter triticale breeding program,” says Erin Collier, WCI’s business development officer.
Beyond variety development, WCI is undergoing some big organizational changes. The nonprofit is in the process of hiring its first permanent executive director and will host its first annual general meeting in June. This meeting will transition WCI from an interim board to a more permanent leadership structure.