As a disease diagnostician, I’m always looking ahead — anticipating the next big challenge, refining our tools, and ensuring growers have the insights they need to make informed decisions. The world of seed testing isn’t static. It’s a rapidly evolving field where emerging diseases, new detection technologies, and industry demands are constantly reshaping our work. Here’s how.
My decisions are data-driven more than ever. Take bacterial leaf streak in cereals and verticillium stripe in canola — two diseases that have been on our radar for a while but remain a major focus. We still get a steady stream of inquiries from growers and breeders about these pathogens, and testing demand remains high. With bacterial leaf streak, for example, we’re not just detecting its presence in seed — we’re also working to quantify infection levels. This is critical because high infection rates mean higher risks, particularly under irrigation. A grower planting in an irrigation district might reconsider their approach if they know their seed is carrying a high bacterial load. That’s the kind of data-driven decision-making we’re helping to enable.
I’m helping transform how and when testing is done. We’ve seen the industry rely on well-established techniques—PCR, ELISA, and microbiological ID remain staples—but how we use the technology is evolving. New molecular assays, like those used for blackleg race testing in canola, are allowing growers to make better variety decisions than ever before.
I’m making sure seed testing evolves in ways that are genuinely useful to the industry. One of the biggest shifts for us has been expanding into seed potato testing. Working with CFIA-accredited methods means adapting to established protocols, but it also opens the opportunity to push for modernization — bringing in more robust technologies like PCR to improve confidence in results. Beyond accreditation, we’re actively engaging with growers to understand their concerns. What pathogens worry them most? What testing would be most valuable? These are the questions I ask myself every day.
Of course, challenges remain. The biggest?
Defining disease thresholds. Growers always ask: How much infection is too much? The answer is never simple. Disease expression depends on a web of factors — environment, seed treatments, rotation practices and more. That’s why our lab doesn’t just report results; we analyze trends, track regional outbreaks, and provide growers with the context they need to make informed choices. High disease pressure in seed often means high pathogen loads in the field where it was harvested, making rotation decisions all the more critical.
Disease testing isn’t just about identifying problems — it’s about arming the industry to allow them to get the best yields and quality that it can. Whether it’s breeders selecting for resistance, agronomists advising on management strategies, or growers making planting decisions, seed health data is becoming an increasingly integral part of modern agriculture. And as we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in testing, one thing is certain: the future of seed testing is anything but predictable.
