AAC Crossfield wheat will be available for purchase for the 2019 growing season
By Kate Ayers
Staff Writer
Farms.com
The Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) and CANTERRA SEEDS LTD. launched a new wheat variety, called ACC Crossfield, on Thursday.
This Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) variety is brought to farmers through the unique public, private, producer partnership (4-P) between the two groups, an AWC release said.
AAC Crossfield is the first variety launched in history where producers, the private sector and the public have worked together for its release, Kevin Bender, AWC chair, said to Farms.com today.
The producers are represented by AWC, the private sector is CANTERRA SEEDS and the public contribution is from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada.
CANTERRA SEEDS’ grower shareholders are producing AAC Crossfield seed, the release said. Farmers can purchase the variety in time for spring 2019 planting.
This partnership involves a $3.4-million investment over five years, with the objective of joining the strengths of producers with those of the private and public sectors, to bring enhanced CPSR wheat varieties to farmers, the release said.
Dr. Harpinder Randhawa, an AAFC research scientist based in Lethbridge, Alta., leads the partnership’s breeding program.
Under the partnership, AWC will receive a share of royalties on varieties created through the program. These funds will be used for future CPSR research and development, Bender said.
In the 4-P program, CANTERRA SEEDS provides technical and field-testing capacity for new varieties, overall funding and support for the initiative, as well as links to the entire value chain, the release said.
“We are very excited to see the results of this ground-breaking partnership coming to life with the commercial release of AAC Crossfield,” David Hansen, president and CEO of CANTERRA SEEDS, said in the release.
Trials have shown exciting results that will benefit Western Canadian producers.
“From what it looks like so far, (AAC Crossfields) will be a really good variety – high yields, good milling qualities, and it responds well to high rainfall and nutrients,” Bender said.
“It has a lot of potential for good yields.”