b'A look at seed industry developments around the globe.Austrailia classifyingSTATUS AUSTRALIA Australian oat varietal clas- Hyra, SeCans western busi-lentils. Canada raisingGrains Australia has led thesification system which hadness manager.genetic access alarm.development of the firstbeen administered by theFurthermore, Kazakhstans national variety classificationGrain Industry Association ofability to offer flax grain at Nepal detects wheat stemframeworks for lentils andWestern Australia. lower prices poses a direct rust. UK cloud-basedoats to help meet the needsGrains Australia is respon- threat to Canadian flax pro-of Australian growers andsible for vital industry servicesducers. By targeting specific tools to explore plantdomestic and internationaland functions that improvevarieties like CDC Rowland, pangenomes.customers. the industrys competitive- foreign entities aim to gain a The aim is to add value toness and profitability. In addi- competitive edge in their agri-Australias lentil and oat indus- tion to classification, thesecultural markets, potentially tries through enabling dif- services and functions includecausing harm to Canadian ferentiation of varieties basedtrade and market access andfarmers and the industry as a on quality characteristicsmarket insights and marketwhole.desired by customers, Grainseducation. To address these concerns, Australia Classification generalit is essential for everyone manager Megan Sheehy said. involved in the agricultural Its about providing goal- STATUS CANADA supply chain to remain vigilant.posts for plant breeders toSeeds Canada emailed theirSeed retailers, farmers, ensure that varieties producedmembers to let them knowand industry stakeholders will meet market demandsthat foreign organizations aremust be alert to any suspi-and opportunities, she said. inappropriately approach- cious inquiries or requests Grains Australia, whiching seed growers and retail- for proprietary crop varie-is an initiative of the Grainsers in Western Canada toties. Its imperative to ensure Research and Developmentsecure Canadian genetics.that proper permissions are Corporation (GRDC), hasSeeds Canada has receivedobtained before authorizing developed the frameworksreports that organizationsdistribution to foreign mar-with support and guid- from Kazakhstan are currentlykets, Hyra says.ance from its Pulse and Oattargeting CDC Rowland flaxIts not the first time Councils, and in collaborationretailers to secure seed forSeeds Canada or its legacy with industry. export; Seeds Canada expectsorganizations have raised the While Australian varietalthese attempts to secure seedalarm about foreign entities classification systems are wellwill extend to other varietiesattempting to illegally access established for wheat andand crop kinds, the email said.Canadian genetics. In the barley varieties, varietal clas- CDC Rowland, a SeCanspring of 2020, unnamed sification frameworks have notvariety, is attractive toseed buyers from Kazakhstan previously existed for pulseKazakhstan as that countrywere attempting to access crops. is a major flax producer andmade-in-Canada varieties The new lentil frameworkgrowers there are no doubtof wheat, barley, pulse crops will guide the establishment oflooking for the latest geneticsand soybeans without going varietal classification frame- that offer superior yields andthrough the proper channels. works for additional pulsedisease resistance.crops. Despite its relatively It is currently for red lentilsrecent introduction to theSTATUS NEPALonly, which comprise the vastmarket, CDC Rowland hasSuccessful global wheat dis-majority of lentils producedquickly gained attention forease surveillance and moni-and traded by Australia, withits superior traits, offering atoring has resulted in early the remainder being greensubstantial yield increase anddetection of wheat stem rust lentils. The new national oatother desirable characteristicsUg99 in Nepal. A combination variety classification frame- compared to older varietiesof vigilant field surveys and work builds on a Westernlike CDC Glas, says Toddsampling by Nepals National 76/ SEEDWORLD.COMINTERNATIONAL EDITION 2024'