b"THERES AMAZING THINGS GOING ON IN PUBLIC RESEARCHWe set out to find out whats significant in terms of public sector research, and the results paint a picture of a thriving community of scientists doing innovative work.Marc ZienkiewiczA HUGE PERCENTAGE of plant breeding and plant science inCanolageneral is done by Canadas public sector.The landscape of public and private breeding can be some-what different depending on whether youre in the West or the East, notes Lauren Comin, policy director for Seeds Canada. These differences are also influenced by the specific crop youre looking at. When it comes to canola, corn and soybean, where trans-genic events and hybrids have gained significant traction, the private sector takes the lead. They dominate the scene, and theres minimal involvement from the public sector in terms of commercialization.However, the story shifts when we look at crops like pulses and cereals, particularly in the West.In this case, its the public sector that holds sway, withHabibur Rahman (right) and research associate Berisso Kebede Demo institutions like Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and univer- are working to improve the genetic diversity of hybrid canola. sities taking the lead. Over time, a strong tradition of producerPhoto: Bev Betkowskisupport, both in terms of funding and advocacy, has emerged in the western part of the country for these programs, CominUsing Cabbage to Attain Clubroot Resistancesays. University of AlbertaOn the eastern side of Canada, theres a higher prevalence ofBy integrating robust clubroot resistance from wild cabbage into certified seed usage, which has allowed for more private sectorcanola, Habibur Rahmans program is ushering in a new era of involvement. canola cultivation fortified with enduring disease resistance.However, this shift hasnt been as pronounced for mostThis breakthrough marks a watershed moment in the realm pulse and cereal crops. They continue to be primarily fundedof interspecific hybridization and resistance introgression, over-by producer checkoffs and rely on government matching fundscoming barriers that previously hindered progress. The implica-through five-year policy programs.tions are profoundcanola cultivation stands on the brink of Seed World Canada put out the call to public plant sciencea revolution, poised to thrive with long-term disease resilience.programs as we hunted for innovative research coming out ofIndeed, the significance of Rahman's work reverberates far the public domain, and the public sector responded with gusto. beyond the confines of the laboratory. Canola, a cornerstone of The wealth of public programs we opted to profile showsthe Canadian economy with an annual contribution of nearly just why our public sector is so important in the plant science$30 billion, stands to benefit immensely from this innovation. landscape, and how significant its work really is. Major playersThis collaboration between academia and industry (Bayer Crop in the space range in scope from cereals to oilseeds to agronomyScience is a partner in the research) underscores the potential of research and more.public-private partnerships.Heres the latest in whats happening in public plant science in Canada and why it matters. Genetic Improvement: Hitting Fast-ForwardUniversity of ManitobaTheres a paradigm shift in canola genetic improvement, spear-headed by the visionary research program of Harmeet Singh Chawla. Hes leveraging genomics to propel canola cultivation into the future.6 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA JULY 2024"