b'COVER CROP CORNERWE NEED A STRONG PUBLIC SYSTEM TO ENSURE THE FUTURE OF COVER CROPSFOR MANY YEARSgovernments made it a prioritysystem, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, or a to fund public plant breeding systems. Regionally,hybrid model of private systems supplying genet-there were either plant breeders scattered acrossics, it takes a lot of time, energy, knowledge, and the country, or there was a satellite station forspace to get a variety to registration, never mind testing. Sadly, funding cuts forced many publicto market. The question comes back to who needs stations to close. to pay. Having private companies come in and doDo farmers pay royalties to the seed grower plant breeding is good, but the genetics are usu- who then gives them to the seed company that pays By Kevin Elmy ally tied up, limiting seed use as they need to getthe plant breeder? Do we do a checkoff on all grain Elmy is founder of Covera return on investment. Prairie farmers have aproduced? Or do the taxpayers collectively need Crops Canada. His booklong history of being able to use their own seedto pay plant breeders for continuing their work Cover Cropping in Western Canada is availableand market their grain where they wish. to produce new varieties so farmers can improve through Friesen Press,The public system developed a few ways oftheir efficiencies in producing food? To complicate Amazon, and digitallygetting the genetics into the farmers hands. Theythings, can private companies receive some of the through Apple Books,have done a public release through a commoditypublic money? Its a complicated issue, and usually Kindle, and Google Play.group, or through a seed company that offers thecomes back to the dollars and cents, budgets and For more info on Cover Crops Canada visitseed through a network of seed growers that retailwhere the money comes from.covercrops.ca the seed to farmers. The seed is locally grown, hasWhen it comes to cover crop plant breeding, local adaptation of its microbiome and has beenhaving a high grain yield may not be the right proven to perform in the immediate area. end goal as a cover crop. But having low growth, Public plant breeders were developing varietiesincreased root mass, and delayed maturity may based on regional needs, such as a 60-day barleybe the attributes needed. Private companies for short growing season areas, a feed oat withmay not be interested in these attributes. But to higher digestibility, triticale varieties to matchfurther the cover crop industry and new variety agronomic concerns, or varieties that will performadoption, they may be needed. in organic management systems. Seed growersUnder the forage production registration regu-would have conversations with the plant breed- lations, which are less stringent than grain, varie-ers, telling them their concerns, what impressedties can be brought to market with less expense, them about varieties, what they needed in futurebut the value they bring as options for cover crops varieties, and the plant breeders would add thatcan be as large as some grain varieties.feedback to their selection criteria. Personally, if we had the choice of having cover Now, governments have been reducing fund- crops that will winter kill or overwinter, warm ing for the public plant breeding system. In orderand cool season species, annual, biennial and to stay open, they have to be a profit centre,perennial plants as grasses, legumes, and broadleaf collecting royalties, selling genetics and cooperat- plants, it would go a long way to create options ing with other plant breeders. Maybe that is notfor adding more plant diversity in our cover crops a bad thing either, but plant breeders still need toand rotation. Looking for plants that are biennial be able to have some creative freedom. Just likeor perennial that winter kill in your part of the an artist. world is a good option. We need to find ways to There is a spot for private companies to be inget more forbs growing on our land.plant breeding. For crops with identity preservedOverall, there is a need for public plant breed-markets, having a breeding line to create new anding to continuethe challenge is how it gets improved varieties makes sense. Canola, cornfunded. The benefits of having more cover crops and soybeans are the big-money game with highseeded benefits farmers, urban centres, water-levels of competition on the retail side. The publicsheds, air quality, livestock and grain producers, system is at a disadvantage because it does not haveorganic and conventional farms. But the econom-consistent access to marketing and promotion. ics need to work so the brunt of the cost should Funding seems to be the key roadblock innot be put on the producers. For the environmen-keeping the public plant breeding system going.tal benefits alone, society needs to be willing to Whether we are talking about the universityshare the load. 20 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA JULY 2024'