b'efforts on the realm of near-commercialization. Theyre gearedOur field tends to concentrate heavily on the development towards fine-tuning and packaging a product thats ready forof groundbreaking technologies without always considering market. This approach ensures that they can generate revenuewho has the privilege to access and leverage these advance-from their investments, Comin says. ments. Its a dimension that warrants much more attention in However, its worth noting that upcoming technologiesthe plant breeding sector.might add some complexity to this relationship in the future.Private industry operates with a distinct urgency because For instance, when we consider trait development usingtheir profitability hinges on making sales. Without a polished, techniques like gene editing, access to these technologies mightfinished product, theres simply nothing to offer to customers, be restricted to those who hold the appropriate licenses or pat- Comin says. ents. This could potentially alter the landscape of developmentConsequently, the private sector has honed various strategies originating from the private sector. Its going to be fascinating toand innovations to expedite this process. In contrast, public observe what kind of developments arise as a result, Comin adds. breeding groups often find themselves contending with govern-mental bureaucracy, which can inadvertently hinder the pace of Public-Private Partnerships have a role to play. scientific progress. A significant portion of public sector breeding does indeedIn recent years, weve witnessed a shift in relationships revolve around advancements in technology development,between producer groups and private breeders in Canada. An according to Kantar.example would be the recent partnership between Limagrain An aspect that I find particularly crucial is the space thatand the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. However, this shift hasnt exists within the public sector. As Lauren touched on, thisbeen as pronounced for cereal crops, Comin says. space allows us to take on risky endeavors. However, the uncer- They continue to be primarily funded by producer check-tainty lies in whether these innovative approaches that showoffs and rely on government matching funds through these promise within our model breeding programs can be scaled upfive-year policy programs. Unfortunately, this kind of fund-to impact a broader, more extensive audience. This is where theing setup doesnt align well with the long-term nature of plant beauty of partnerships truly shines, Kantar says. breeding efforts. With each cycle, the funding gets eroded, Looking back, there were instances where the questionbudgets become tighter, and government priorities start to was, Can we truly put marker-assisted or genomic selectionshift, presenting challenges for sustaining effective breeding into practical use? These scenarios led to remarkable collabo- programs.rations between diverse entities: companies, universities, andAdditionally, gaps in research funding can lead to interrup-even research centers like the CGIAR centers. These partner- tions in breeding pipelines. The shifting priorities of govern-ships were instrumental in making these groundbreakingment policies can also result in the abandonment of ongoing technologies operational. Similar patterns are emerging nowwork or a redirection of focus. Its important to recognize that with genomic selection. These alliances often involve seedexternal factors can sometimes work against public breeders companies, technology firms, universities, and institutions likeintentions to introduce new innovations to the market.CIMMYT. Another aspect in Canada is our registration system, which Gonzalez is an excellent example of how people move fluidlycan create a bottleneck when it comes to the speed of bringing between these different realms, perpetuating this dynamica product to market. If a crop is subject to merit requirements exchange of expertise, Kantar says.for registration, there are inherent limits to how fast the process What Ive noticed is that a potential synergy arises whencan move. So, there are multiple factors that contribute to the we delve into determining the scalability of novel technologies.pace of progress, Comin adds. We need to discern when a new technology serves as a power-ful tool on a smaller scale, perhaps benefiting a specific region, versus when it can be amplified to a national or even interna-tional level. This is where those truly fruitful collaborations tend to flourish, Kantar adds.However, a key factor determining the success of these col-laborations is access to the technology. Its a facet thats oftenWatch our full-length webinar on this topic!overlooked in the broader plant breeding discourse, Kantar adds.germination.ca/public-private-breedingSUPPORTED BY: ENDORSED BY:50GERMINATION.CANOVEMBER 2023'