b"A look at seed industry developments around the globe.Australia investing inSTATUS AUSTRALIA in Queensland and Newthat will significantly impact soybean program, CanadaThe Grains Research andSouth Wales and work towardCanadian agriculture and Development Corporationexpansion for new regions.reduce emissions from the continuing genomics(GRDC) will invest $3 millionagriculture sector.research, and settlementin a new five-year soybean reached with Belgianbreeding program that willSTATUS CANADAbe led by the University ofGenome Prairie, in partner- STATUS EUROPEfarmer Adelaide and aims to delivership with Genome Canada,Breeders Trust reached a new elite soybean varietiesannounced the launch ofsettlement with a Belgian to Australian growers. Sincethe Agriculture Genomicsfarmer from Gembloux, 2012, GRDC has invested overAction Centre (AGAC) pro- Wallonia, who was using farm-$5 million in soybean breedingject, as part of the recentlysaved seeds without paying that has developed new varie- announced Climate-Smartrequired royalties. This variety ties and advanced breedingAgriculture Food Systemsis protected by plant breed-material.(CSAF) initiative. The AGACers rights. In Belgium, potato Worth $6 million in total,will be a knowledge hubgrowers have the right to use the new breeding program willfor further advances ina portion of their harvest as accelerate the delivery of newgenomics research relat- farm-saved seeds for the fol-varieties by speed breedinging to agriculture and foodlowing year on their own farm. using new tech to improveproduction in Canada. TheHowever, this is subject to sev-germplasm evaluation andannouncement includes $2.3eral legal provisions. Farmers other breeding processes. million in federal supportmust register the cultivation GRDC oilseeds and geneticfrom the Canadian Ministryof farm-saved seed potatoes technologies manager Allisonof Innovation, Science, andwith the Federal Agency for Pearson said the investmentEconomic Development viathe Safety of the Food Chain would evaluate breedingGenome Canada and $2.4 mil- (FAVV). Additionally, using material to improve yieldlion in additional funding fromfarm-saved seeds of a variety potential and ensure that newprovincial governments andprotected by plant breeders' varieties meet quality param- industry partners. rights requires registration.eters of domestic and interna- The AGAC project willThe potato grower had tional end users. gather research outputscomplied with both registra-Australian soybean pro- from nine major ag genom- tion obligations but continued duction is around 40,000ics projects that began into refuse payment of royalties tonnes per year. Its expan- 2023. The AGAC will supportto Breeders Trust. This made sion has been limited due tosharing information and datalegal action unavoidable, inconsistent and unreliablefrom those projects to createstated Corn van Beers, the production, exacerbated bygreater conditions for collabo- general director of Breeders environmental factors, croprationTrust.price and variety choice. The objective of AGAC isIn the settlement, the Within 10 years, Soyto serve as a knowledge hub,potato grower admitted Australia wants to increasefacilitating impacts that willto violating plant breeders annual production to 150,000propel agriculture forward. Byrights. The grower agreed to tonnes per year equatingenhancing food productioncease further infringements to $75 millionby improvingwhile mitigating greenhouseof these rights and paid the production in existing areasgas emissions, AGAC willowed royalties to Breeders and expanding soybean intohelp pave the way for a moreTrust, along with compen-new regions. The national soy- sustainable future. Whensation for the legal costs bean breeding program willcompleted, AGACs collec- incurred due to the infringe-focus on improved varietiestive expertise will maximizement. SWfor existing soybean regionsvalue from genomics projects 50/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2024"