JANUARY 2018 GERMINATION.CA 59 TheHeadlines Submissions welcome: news@issuesink.com Seed Federation (ISF) joined a global forum to present its members’ views on the future direction of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). Hosted by the Republic of Rwanda in Kigali in November, the Seventh Session of the Governing Body of the ITPGRFA brought together 144 member countries, observer nations, farmers’ groups, NGOs, experts, and other interna- tional organizations. PRODUCT SASKPULSE LICENSES DISTRIBUTION OF PULSE VARIETIES OUTSIDE SASKATCHEWAN Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) has licensed the distribution rights for select Crop Development Centre (CDC) pulse varieties in provinces outside of Saskatchewan to SeCan and SeedNet for a 10-year period. By licensing the distribution of these varieties for sale in provinces outside of Saskatchewan, SPG is ensuring that growers in other provinces are paying for access to varie- ties developed by the CDC. RESEARCH BARLEY NO LONGER AN AFTERTHOUGHT IN BEER FLAVOUR In two studies published in the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists that included Canadian par- ticipation, a research team led by Oregon State University found notable differences in the taste of beers malted from barley varieties reputed to have flavour qualities. Consumers aren’t going to see a barley-flavored brew anytime soon in their local pub or supermarket, but the findings are an important first step toward a potential new market for beer connoisseurs, said OSU barley breeder Pat Hayes. CORRECTLY USED NEONICS DON’T HARM HONEYBEE COLONIES, CANADIAN STUDY SAYS The three most widely used neonicotinoid pesticides for flowering crops pose no risk to honeybee colonies when used correctly as seed treatments, according to new studies by University of Guelph researchers. The findings are described in five papers published by Keith Solomon, a toxicologist and emeritus professor with the School of Environmental Sciences and adjunct profes- sor Gladys Stephenson in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health-B. Pattie Ganske, Agvocate Former Owner, Ag Retail Learn more at AgMoreThanEver.ca. Be somebody who does something. Be an agvocate. “If we talk about what we’re doing, people will understand how their food is grown and why we grow it the way we do.”