Welcome to the first episode of an exciting new four-part series on Real Agriculture — Beyond the Bushel. In this series, we’ll take you on an in-depth exploration of the wheat and barley value chain in Western Canada.
While wheat is a very familiar crop, and one that grows well over much of the world, it’s far from simple. Developing new varieties is actually quite complicated for several reasons, reasons outlined in the first episode of Beyond the Bushel, where we discuss plant breeding with both a public and private plant breeder — Dr. Francis Kirigwi, of Syngenta, and Dr. Robert Graf, with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
In episode one of this four part series we explore the role that the plant breeder plays in the wheat value chain, and delve how they balance the needs of farmers and processors amidst an ever-changing regulatory environment and a dynamic plant breeding industry exploring new technologies.
The plant breeders also share their thoughts on the future of wheat, and how the complexity of the crop creates opportunity in the long term.
Please register to read and comment.