SEPTEMBER 2026  SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA   1
September 2026  •  Contents
FEATURES
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The Push to Reimagine Variety 
Registration is Intensifying
A growing coalition of breeders, 
seed companies, farmers and 
industry leaders says Canada’s 
variety registration system is slowing 
innovation instead of enabling it. 
Their message: the biggest risk isn’t 
changing the system — it’s refusing to.
What Decades of Service Look Like: 
Meet the Leaders Honoured by 
CSGA and Seeds Canada
The Canadian Seed Growers’ 
Association and Seeds Canada 
recognized six people for careers that 
quietly transformed the seed sector. 
How Do Farmers Thrive in One of 
Canada’s Toughest Environments? 
Genetics.
In Canada’s North, growers aren’t 
chasing scale — they’re searching for 
the right genetics. As climate change 
reshapes agriculture, that mindset is 
attracting new attention. 
7 Big Tasks That the CSGA
is Ready For
Shannon Bieman takes on the CSGA 
presidency as seed certification 
continues to evolve, bringing 
her perspective on the people, 
technology and priorities shaping its 
future.
Who Will Breed the Crops Canada 
Needs Next?
Markets, governments, farmers 
and universities have all helped 
build Canada’s crop genetics. Now 
the economics of that model are 
changing, and the future of plant 
breeding may depend on finding a 
new way forward. It’s what we explore 
in Season 2 of On the Brink.
The New Intelligence of Plant 
Breeding
Breeders are combining technology, 
genetic diversity and human expertise 
to build the next generation.
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7 Young Scientists Building What Comes Next
They’re combining genetics with drones, computer vision, pathology and data science to tackle the 
problems we haven’t solved yet. Pictured: Luke Dojack (left) in the field.

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