Carman, MB (August 17, 2011) – New genetics are becoming available to soybean farmers as a result of
the success of a new public breeding program supported by the Manitoba Pulse Growers Association
(MPGA).
The “Advanced Canadian Field Crops through Breeding” project began in April 2010 and will continue
through till March 2013. This project is managed by the newly created Canadian Field Crop Research
Alliance (CFCRA), which MPGA is a founding member.
“Building on previous investments by MPGA and the members of the CFCRA, the Canadian soybean
breeding programs have been very active and the impacts are already being seen in the industry and at
the farm level,” says Alison Walden‐Coleman, research projects manager with CFCRA. “This year has
been very successful with 10 new varieties being released to the market,” she continues.
These 10 varieties are currently licensed to industry seed companies and several have already been
made commercially available to farmers.
The CFCRA is an alliance of provincial farm organizations and industry partners. In partnership with
Agriculture and Agri‐Food Canada through the Developing Innovative Agri‐Products program, $5.7
million is being invested over three years for the project.
The project will improve crop genetics and develop new varieties tailored to meet the needs of the
marketplace. Farmers from Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes have come together to
ensure that farmers have access to globally competitive varieties for years to come.
The successful introduction of new soybean varieties is just the first triumph to come out of this project
and MPGA is looking forward to seeing more results in the six crops the project covers over the next few
years. In addition to soybeans, this project is investing funds in breeding efforts in corn, winter wheat,
spring wheat, oats and barley.
The Manitoba Pulse Growers Association provides Manitoba pulse grower members with production
knowledge and market development support, through focused research, advocacy and linkages with
industry partners.