30 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA NOVEMBER 2026 The Bridge to the Seed Grower The same principle applies at the other end of the system. David Gehl spent 25 years heading AAFC’s Seed Increase Unit at the Indian Head Research Farm. With discussions underway about continuity of agricultural activities at the site, he warns that its role cannot be reduced to buildings and equip ment. The unit receives small quantities of pre-breeder seed from AAFC scientists and multiplies them under strict quality con trols. The resulting breeder seed goes to Select growers, begin ning the multiplication process that eventually makes certified seed available to farmers. Gehl calls the unit “a bridge between plant breeders and commercial pedigreed seed growers.” Using the 2026 Saskatchewan Seed Guide, he estimates that AAFC varieties produced as breeder seed through Indian Head account for close to 20 million acres of insured commercial production across the Prairies and British Columbia. The site has productive Class 1 soils, carefully managed rotations, a specialized seed plant, pathogen-control equipment and cold storage. But Gehl says the people matter just as much. “Physical facilities are only half of the recipe for successful breeder seed production,” he says. “The other critical compo nent is the team producing the seed.” The staff need expertise in breeding, agronomy, pathology, conditioning and pedigreed seed production. One mistake can destroy a year’s multiplication and delay a variety’s arrival on farms. From Investment to Responsibility In February, the CWRC declared that “status quo is not an option.” The conclusion followed a review of 27 reports and research papers, interviews with 29 stakeholders and two facili tated workshops. Velestuk says the CWRC board spent two days examining the findings before making that declaration. “It wasn’t taken lightly,” she says. “We got more insight than we ever had before and answers that farmers needed. It was us as a board who decided: this is the state we’re in, and that’s not okay.” The work is beginning to move beyond discussion. The CWRC, Canadian Barley Research Coalition, Seeds Canada and Prairie universities have agreed on a shared vision. The wheat and barley coalitions have formalized a partnership and entered discussions with AAFC. The eventual funding and governance model remains unre solved. Velestuk believes the greatest challenge (and opportu nity) will be finding the right balance between competition and collaboration. Farmers do not need to replace breeders, patholo gists, seed growers or recommending committees. Their role is to insist that all those parts remain connected and focused on an outcome that matters in the field, Velestuk says. “For farmers this is ultimately about productivity and competitiveness and making sure Canadian science continues to translate into better varieties in farmers fields so that we can compete with the best in the world,” Velestuk says. “It’ll require farmers to help lead the system their future depends on.”
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