A look into what goes on behind the scenes at C&M Seeds Research
2021 is going to be yet another exciting year in the C&M Seeds Research department. The research team does phenomenal work and puts in countless hours planting, evaluating, and harvesting trials, looking for the next best variety for your farm. The team has approximately 4000 plots planted this fall spread across South Western Ontario. Within those 4000 plots, there are around 28 trials with varieties from over ten different breeding programs from across the world. While variety development is the main focus of our research, the team also conducts new product evaluations from life science/chemical companies to support our agronomists in their work with dealers across the province.
The two primary locations that the C&M research team manages are at Palmerston and Kincardine. To ensure new genetics are evaluated over several environments, we also have trials contracted with AAFC in Woodslee and with KentAg Research in Harrow, Talbotville, Tupperville and Centralia. The team also has plots in the fusarium nursery at Ridgetown College to evaluate fusarium tolerance of new varieties compared to commercially grown ones. This process is repeated over a few years until we feel a product has proven it has the right characteristics and merit to make it into a seed bag. From the cross to a finished line may take up to 10 years. The goal of all this testing is to ensure we are bringing the best products to growers evaluated under Ontario conditions that also meet the needs of end use markets.
The team documents over 20,000 notes each year, examining every characteristic imaginable about the variety. So, what are they looking for?
The four most important attributes are:
- YIELD!
- Disease resistance/tolerance
- Standability/lodging
- Quality (protein)
Some other variety characteristics the team looks for are seedling vigor, emergence, overwintering, tillering, leaf architecture, heading and maturity to name a few.
Ontario producers are always looking to push the bar when it comes to wheat management. Leave it in the hands of our research team to answer those burning questions like “will that work for my variety” or “will that practice provide a positive ROI”.
Along with the variety evaluation trials, the team is also currently looking at:
- Plant growth regulator trials
- Fungicide trials
- Seed treatment trials
- Seeding rates and planting date trials
- Dwarf bunt resistance trials
- Nitrogen rates and Plant growth regulator trials
- Seeding rates and Plant growth regulator trials
- Plant Breeders Rights trial
It takes a dedicated and hard-working team to complete this magnitude of work every year. The C&M Seeds Research Team is the best in the industry, and they strive to find the next best variety for your farm!
