b'RETAIL STRATEGYOn our recent Retail Strategy webinar, SeCans Todd Hyra noted a seed industry awareness campaign has aimed to raise awareness of Plant Breeders Rights through social media, agricultural publications and field signs.Advancements in Research Unlike annual crops, these perennials can adapt to varying Despite a common perception that forage crops are less glamor- environmental conditions, making them valuable for sustain-ous than those bred for human consumption, these crops areable agriculture. equally vital and genetically advanced, notes Ray Smith, aPerennial crops have inherent variability, which helps them forage expert and professor at the University of Kentucky.adapt to different challenges, making them crucial in an era of Smith highlights the revolutionary impact of novelclimate change, Cattani says.endophytes in perennial ryegrass and tall fescue varieties.Smith further elaborates on the benefits of forage crop Historically, Kentucky 31, a robust tall fescue variety from theblends. By combining multiple varieties with unique adaptation 1940s, thrived across the eastern United States. However, itsstrategies, blends provide resilience and ensure high-quality, fungal endophyte produced toxins detrimental to cattle, caus- certified seed.ing heat stress and reproductive issues.Beyond traditional forage production, perennial crops Recent advancements have introduced beneficial, or novellike alfalfa and intermediate wheatgrass have potential for endophytes, that retain the grasss survival characteristics with- human consumption. In ongoing research at the University of out harmful toxins. This breakthrough demanded extensiveManitoba, members of Cattanis department are exploring the research and development. use of intermediate wheatgrass in breadmaking. The development of novel endophytes involved significantIts higher protein content, ranging from 16% to over 22%, effort, ensuring the beneficial endophyte stayed within themakes it valuable for human diets, he says.grass and that fresh seed with live endophyte reached growers,While traditional breeding has paved the way, new tech-Smith says. Such advancements necessitate robust intellectualnologies like gene editing hold promise for the future of forage property rights to secure investments and make these innova- crops, Smith notes. tions marketable.While GM technology and gene editing capture headlines, University of Manitoba professor and forage breeder Doug Cattani says that in the context of climate change, perennial forage crops like ryegrass and tall fescue offer resilience due toWatch our full-length webinar on this topic!their genetic diversity.Visit seedworld.com/forage-webinarSUPPORTED BY: ENDORSED BY:32 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA JULY 2024'