b'Western research and development leadthan Istvan Rajcan, soybean breeder at Jim Downey, who joined the organiza- the University of Guelph.tion nearly three decades ago.SeCan has been fantastic to work When I started, AC Barrie wheatwith, Rajcan says. For more than 27 could grow up to my chest in wet spots,years, theyve supported our programhe recalls. Todays wheats are a footnot just financially, but with ideas and shorter, stand better, yield more, andfeedback about what the seed industry carry much stronger disease packages.needs.Wed never go back. That feedback is essential because of Downey attributes that transforma- the timelines. Even with winter nurser-tion to long-term investmentcheck- ies in Costa Rica saving us two years, it offs, public funding, and breeder focustakes about eight years to finish a vari- and he sees the stakes clearly. If youety, Rajcan explains. Then you need pull a major player out of wheat, barley,another two or three years to bulk upIstvan Rajcan is a professor of soybean oatscrops almost every Prairie farmseed before farmers ever see it. So really,genetics and breeding in the Department of growsyou dont just slow progress.youre talking 10 or 11 years from crossPlant Agriculture at the University of Guelph.You risk going backwards. Diseasesto commercial adoption.evolve. Genetics have to keep pace. A big myth, he says, is that pri-vate breeding is inherently faster. The Eastern Playbook: Technology makes us more efficient Premiums, Not Parityhelping us avoid wasting resources on If Western Canadas superpower is scalematerial that wont workbut it doesnt in cereals, Eastern Canadas is precisioneliminate the need for multi-year field in soy. Martin VanderLoo, president oftesting. Nothing replaces that.Huron Commodities, has built a careerRajcan says SeCans value lies in on that distinction. understanding that reality. They know Competing vessel-for-vessel onthis is long-term work. They listen to bulk soy is a tough game, VanderLoowhat we can and cant do in a timeframe, says. The Mississippi to New Orleansand we listen to them about what the is a logistics machine. Our answer inmarket needs. That dialogue is what Ontario and Quebec has been to dif- makes the partnership so strong.ferentiatedeliver the protein, sucrose,At the University of Guelphs and functionality the food market isRidgetown campus, soybean breeder andMilad Eskandari, soybean breeder and paying premiums for. Rajcan protg Milad Eskandari echoesprofessor at University of Guelphs Ridgetown Japanese, European, and Southeastthat viewand pushes it further.campus.Asian buyers pay substantially more forSince taking over his soybean breeding Canadian beans that meet exacting specs:program in 2013, SeCan has become his high protein, sucrose, precise 7S/11Smain sponsor.ratios, and specialty traits like low lipoxy- Working with SeCan has been an genase for cleaner flavour and trypsin- absolute game-changer, Eskandari says. inhibitor nulls for better digestibility. Its like having an ally who is as invested Food companies now start at thein the future of farming as I am.genetics, VanderLoo says. They comeEskandaris team is now applying with specs, and we take those needs toartificial intelligence and drone-based public programs with co-funding. Thathigh-throughput phenotyping to predict loop works. And the premiums shore upyield and quality earlier in the breeding farm revenue when commodity prices arecycle.soft. Breeding is always a gamble, he says. We start with 50,000 single plants The Long View and end up with a handful of advancedMartin VanderLoo is president of Huron Few know SeCans importance betterlines. Somewhere along the way, wereCommodities based in Clinton, Ont.NOVEMBER 2025SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA 5'