32 GERMINATION.CA JULY 2019 Here, experts from across the industry will discuss issues that are top-of-mind, share technical advancements, talk about tips for success and provide perspective on policy. I THINK MOST of us innately know that an email, tweet, post or text does not replace connecting with the important people in our life, but boy do we ever love the idea of the digital world and all it promises. We push the digital and push the digital and push the digital because it fits so nicely into our schedules — there is no extra time wasted talking about the mundane details of our lives or what is important to us as humans. But when we fill our lives with digital connections, we run the risk of truly breaking important personal connections. Let’s be clear — digital sharing does not generate con- nection the same way a face-to-face interaction does. The beauty of the human spirit and the desire for the human heart to truly connect is something we all experience, even if we don’t really want to admit it. Your personal relationships need more than texts, tweets and emails to be sustained. Your children need to see your face, hear your voice and understand what you CONTENT MARKETING CAN DIGITAL CONNECTION EVER REPLACE HUMAN TOUCH? Shawn Brook, President, CREATE by Issues Ink sbrook@issuesink.com • @shawn_brook • issuesink.com are thinking. Your significant other needs to hear that you love them and that you are thinking about them. And, both your customers and your potential customers need to see the white of your eyes to know that you are coming up with solutions that will help them be successful. None of this can always come across in an email. I attend a lot of seed industry events around the world and it shows heavily on my expense report that I do so, but I can unequivocally say that my business would simply not be what it is today if I was not present at these events. I see a considerable spike in my business when I’m attend- ing these events and I see a corresponding drop when I am not. I would love to tell you that there is some secret to making connections with people, but it is mostly about putting in the effort — show up, make the connection and be happy about it. Then let your wisdom, great prod- uct offering or brand-new idea shine for all to see. AS A BREEDER I work in two different worlds, both of them vastly different but with the same goal — to diversify a crop and build on the success that we have realized over the past number of decades at the Crop Development Centre (CDC) in Saskatchewan. The two worlds I refer to are wheat and canaryseed — two cereal grains that could not be more different in terms of acreage and public awareness. Wheat, of course, is a major cereal grain, with as much as 30 per cent of the CWRS acres in Western Canada being made up of the CDC’s own varieties. Our breeding program was once relatively small, and the CDC didn’t have many varieties in the marketplace. That has changed significantly, and we’ve made signifi- cant progress in developing new varieties. But contrary to popular belief, wheat isn’t all the same. I work with eight kinds, including wheats designed for niche markets. I’ve always been interested in crop diversification. The CDC was created in 1971 to diversify crops in PLANT BREEDING HOW WE’VE MADE PROGRESS IN TWO BREEDING ARENAS Pierre Hucl, Senior Spring Wheat and Canaryseed Breeder, Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan pierre.hucl@usask.ca • agbio.usask.ca/cdc Saskatchewan, and it’s done that in spades. Enter canaryseed. Canaryseed flour can be used to make bread, cookies, cereals and pastas. Whole seeds can be used in nutrition bars and sprinkled on hamburger buns in place of sesame seed. There are two main types — hairy and hairless. When we started working on canaryseed at the CDC in the early 1990s, there had not been much done with the crop anywhere in the world and hairy canaryseed was predominant. We identified some glabrous (hairless) breeding material back in 1991. We later identified yellow seed material. The first crosses made were in 1995 and we’ve kept on going. We’re in the process of releasing new varieties over the next year or so that will close the gap between hairy and hairless canaryseed. Over the years, the CDC’s focus has shifted to varietal releases, germplasm development and associated disci- plines. Western Canada is all the better for it and we can look forward to more exciting developments in wheat and canaryseed in the near future. Stay tuned.