FR
  • News Releases

CWRC launches review of Canadian wheat breeding innovation system

Sept. 11, 2025 (Carman, MB; Saskatoon, SK; Calgary, AB) The Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) has engaged Synthesis Agri-Food Network to review Canada’s wheat breeding innovation system in an effort to safeguard its ability to serve the evolving needs of Canadian farmers.

A review of the current wheat breeding landscape will help the CWRC identify and address potential risks and opportunities in the Canadian system while ensuring it continues to generate elite varieties for farmers across the country.

“Canadian farmers need a wheat breeding innovation system that is globally competitive, prevents technology gaps and maintains choice and competition in the marketplace,” said Dean Hubbard, CWRC chair and a farmer near Claresholm, AB.

The CWRC engages in core breeding agreements (CBAs) with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre, the University of Manitoba and the University of Alberta, investing over $9.5 million per year on behalf of western Canadian farmers. Since the introduction of the CBA model, farmers have become a key funding partner for public wheat breeding in Canada, with their contributions representing almost half of the estimated total public varietal research and development costs.

These CBAs, and other investments in public plant breeding in Canada, have generated significant returns for both farmers and the public over the last several decades. CWRC CBAs have resulted in the registration of more than 40 new wheat varieties across multiple wheat classes, and a recent study found that farmers received $33 in benefits for every dollar they invested in wheat breeding from 1995 to 2020.

“As farmers, we have contributed a lot of our hard-earned dollars to this important research and the CWRC must ensure those dollars are directed wherever they will produce the largest impact,” Hubbard said. “This review represents a proactive approach to ensuring farmer investments in public breeding programs continue to produce strong results we can see firsthand in our fields.”

For more information, reference our FAQ.

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Media Contacts:

Cole Christensen
Communications Manager
Manitoba Crop Alliance
403-589-3529

Andrea Lauder
Communications Manager
Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission
306-653-7967
andrea.lauder@saskwheat.ca

Harley Groeneveld
Senior Manager, Communications and Marketing
Alberta Grains
403-371-2132
hgroeneveld@albertagrains.com

  • News Releases

CWRC commits nearly $20 million to AAFC wheat breeding activities

June 10, 2025 (Carman, MB; Saskatoon, SK; Calgary, AB) The Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) has committed $19.9 million over the next three years to a core breeding agreement (CBA) with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) for the development of field-ready wheat varieties.

The new agreement will ensure Prairie farmers can continue to access high-quality wheat varieties and associated genetics from AAFC’s breeding programs for years to come.

“This agreement is about making sure Canadian wheat farmers continue to have access to top-quality varieties that perform in the real world,” said Dean Hubbard, CWRC chair and a farmer near Claresholm, AB. “By supporting AAFC’s breeding work, we are helping tackle some of the biggest challenges on the farm, like disease, pests and tough weather, while keeping our focus on the quality standards our customers count on.”

CWRC funding via the 2025-28 CBA will support the development of field-ready Canada Western Red Spring, Canada Western Amber Durum, Canada Prairie Spring Red, Canada Western Soft White Spring and Canada Western Red Winter wheat varieties that reduce business risk and enhance competitiveness for western Canadian farmers.

AAFC will aim to develop wheat varieties with strong resistance to diseases such as Fusarium head blight, rusts and leaf spotting diseases, as well as insect pests such as orange wheat blossom midge and wheat stem sawfly. AAFC will also prioritize new varieties that can withstand adverse environmental conditions such as heat and drought stress. Strict quality standards will ensure all new varieties address market needs.

“Researchers with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have been breeding wheat for 100 years, supporting Canadian farmers in maintaining their global reputation for producing a premium product,” said the Honourable Heath MacDonald, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “This investment will ensure our farmers have wheat varieties that can better overcome disease and weather challenges, and maintain Canada’s competitive advantage in cereal production.”

CWRC investment through the new CBA is divided among the organization’s founding members by a funding shares agreement. The CWRC also maintains CBAs with the University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre, the University of Manitoba and the University of Alberta.

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Media Contacts:

Cole Christensen
Communications Manager
Manitoba Crop Alliance
403-589-3529

Andrea Lauder
Communications Manager
Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission
306-653-7967
andrea.lauder@saskwheat.ca

Harley Groeneveld
Senior Manager, Communications and Marketing
Alberta Grains
403-371-2132
hgroeneveld@albertagrains.com

  • News Releases

CWRC commits $11.5 million to USask Crop Development Centre

Jan. 28, 2025 (Carman, MB; Saskatoon, SK; Calgary, AB) The Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) has committed $11.5 million over the next five years to a core breeding agreement (CBA) with the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Crop Development Centre (CDC).

The new agreement ensures continued CWRC funding for the CDC’s industry-leading wheat breeding programs, as the previous CBA concluded at the end of 2024.

“This renewed investment by the CWRC will directly benefit western Canadian farmers by supporting the development of wheat varieties with improved yields, stronger disease resistance and better adaptation to our growing conditions,” said Dean Hubbard, CWRC chair and a farmer near Claresholm, AB.

“Farmer-funded breeding programs like this ensure that producers have access to innovative, high-performing varieties that are in demand and help make their farms more productive and sustainable.”

CWRC funding via the 2025-29 CBA will support the CDC’s development of new Canadian Western Red Spring (CWRS), Canada Northern Hard Red (CNHR), Canadian Western Amber Durum (CWAD) and Canadian Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) wheat cultivars with strong agronomics and improved resistance to common diseases such as the wheat rusts, common bunt and Fusarium Head Blight. This funding will also support the application of genomic assisted selection across all wheat breeding programs at the CDC, a technology that is used in part to “stack” genes for disease resistance, pest resistance and end-use quality in new varieties.

“We have had a tremendously successful partnership with the CWRC and we are grateful for their continued support,” said Dr. Curtis Pozniak, CDC director and wheat breeder. “The continued investment from the CWRC will help support the CDC’s mission to deliver high-yielding and reliable wheat varieties for western Canadian farmers.”

The new agreement represents a nearly $2-million increase in funding compared with the previous five-year agreement. CWRC investment through the new CBA is divided among the organization’s founding members by a funding shares agreement.

“Over its history, innovations from USask’s CDC have significantly helped producers by enhancing the value of their operations,” said Baljit Singh, vice-president research at USask. “The CWRC’s investment will allow the CDC to continue to make positive impact in Canada’s agriculture sector and around the world.”

The CWRC also maintains CBAs with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the University of Manitoba and the University of Alberta.

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Media Contacts:

Cole Christensen
Communications Manager
Manitoba Crop Alliance
403-589-3529

Andrea Lauder
Communications Manager
Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission
306-653-7967
andrea.lauder@saskwheat.ca

Harley Groeneveld
Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist
Alberta Grains
403-371-2132
hgroeneveld@albertagrains.com

Marissa Janssen 
Manager, Crop Development Centre
University of Saskatchewan
306-966-4999
marissa.janssen@usask.ca

  • Actualités

La CWRC administrera la nouvelle Grappe nationale du blé, d’une valeur de 20 millions de dollars.

Le 6 mars 2024 (Carman – Man.; Saskatoon – Sask.; Calgary – Alb.;) – Les recherchescanadiennes sur le blé jugées précieuses recevront un financement crucial grâce à la nouvelle Grappe nationale du blé, d’une valeur de plus de 20 millions de dollars sur 5 ans.

La Grappe, administrée par la CWRC, financera les projets de recherche faisant avancer la génétique, les qualités agronomiques et la durabilité du blé, et ce, au profit des agriculteurs du Canada.

« Le blé est une culture vitale dans les rotations des cultivateurs de grain de tout le pays, a déclaré Jake Leguee, président de la CWRC, agriculteur près de Fillmore, en Saskatchewan.

Les investissements en recherche effectués dans le Cadre de la Grappe du blé feront en sorte que le blé reste rentable et durable pour les agriculteurs canadiens.Ils permettront d’améliorer la qualité et les rendements tout en trouvant des solutions aux stresseurs environnementaux comme la sécheresse et les maladies comme la fusariose de l’épi. Depuis des décennies, les agriculteurs n’effectuent qu’un travail minimal du sol et gèrent les nutriments. Les activités financées dans ce cadre amélioreront ces pratiques, ce qui permettra aux agriculteurs de contribuer davantage aux objectifs climatiques du gouvernement du Canada ».

Le député de Winnipeg Nord, Kevin Lamoureux, a annoncé la nouvelle Grappe cet après-midi, au nom de l’honorable Lawrence MacAulay, ministre de l’Agriculture et de l’Agroalimentaire. Plus de 11,2 millions de dollars du financement de la Grappe viendra d’Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada (AAC) dans le cadre du programme Agri-science du Partenariat canadien pour une agriculture durable (PCA durable), alors que 9,3 millions seront issus de producteurs et d’organismes privés de tout le Canada, représentés par :

  • la Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA)
  • la Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (Sask Wheat)
  • Alberta Grains
  • la Western Grains Research Foundation (Fondation de recherches sur le grain de l’Ouest)
  • l’Alliance de recherche sur les cultures commerciales du Canada (ARCCC).

« La réputation du Canada comme producteur de blé de classe mondiale dépend de son réseau de recherche robuste, collaborant d’un océan à l’autre, a déclaré Lori-Ann Kaminski, présidente de la CWRC et directrice du programme de recherche sur les cultures céréalières de la MCA.

Dans la Grappe du blé précédente, nous avions fait de grandes avancées vers des innovations qui offriront des bienfaits tangibles aux cultivateurs de blé canadiens, et ce, pour de nombreuses années. Je crois fermement que la nouvelle Grappe sera un autre succès collaboratif pour toute la chaîne de valeur du blé. »

La CWRC est une collaboration entre la MCA, Sask Wheat et Alberta Grains qui vise à améliorer la rentabilité relative nette du blé pour les agriculteurs de l’Ouest du Canada

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Media Contacts:

Cole Christensen
Communications Manager
Manitoba Crop Alliance
403-589-3529

Dallas Carpenter
Communications Manager
Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission
306-653-7967

Jonathan Anderson 
Director, Communications, Marketing & Events
Alberta Grains
403-371-2132
janderson@albertagrains.com

  • News Releases

CWRC to administer new, $20-million Canadian National Wheat Cluster

March 6, 2024 (Carman, MB; Saskatoon, SK; Calgary, AB) Valuable wheat research across the country will receive crucial funding through the newly announced Canadian National Wheat Cluster, worth more than $20 million over five years.

Administered by the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC), the Wheat Cluster will fund research projects that advance wheat genetics, agronomy and sustainability for the benefit of Canadian farmers.

“Wheat is a vital crop in the rotations of grain farmers across the country,” said Jake Leguee, CWRC chair, who farms near Fillmore, SK.

“The investment in research through the Wheat Cluster will keep wheat profitable and sustainable for Canadian farmers, increasing quality and yields while finding new solutions for environmental stressors like drought and diseases like Fusarium head blight. Farmers have been practicing minimum tillage and nutrient stewardship for decades, and the activities funded under this will enhance those practices, allowing farmers to contribute further to the Government of Canada’s climate targets.”

Winnipeg North MP Kevin Lamoureux announced the new Wheat Cluster this afternoon on behalf of the Hon. Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Over $11.2 million in funding for the cluster will come from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) AgriScience program, while over $9.3 million will come from producer and private organizations from across Canada, represented by:

  • Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA)
  • Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (Sask Wheat)
  • Alberta Grains
  • Western Grains Research Foundation
  • Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance

“Canada’s reputation for world-class wheat depends on a strong research network, working together from coast to coast,” said Lori-Ann Kaminski, CWRC president and research program manager for cereal crops with MCA.

“In the previous Wheat Cluster, we made great strides toward innovations that will provide tangible benefits to Canadian wheat farmers for many years to come. I am confident the new cluster will be another triumph of teamwork across the wheat value chain.”

The CWRC is a collaboration between MCA, Sask Wheat and Alberta Grains aimed at improving the net relative profitability of wheat for western Canadian farmers.

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Media Contacts:

Cole Christensen
Communications Manager
Manitoba Crop Alliance
403-589-3529

Dallas Carpenter
Communications Manager
Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission
306-653-7967

Jonathan Anderson 
Director, Communications, Marketing & Events
Alberta Grains
403-371-2132
janderson@albertagrains.com

  • News Releases

CWRC Appoints New President, Transitions Host Duties To MCA

May 25, 2023 (Carman, MB; Saskatoon, SK;Calgary, AB) – The Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) – a collaboration between the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC), Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (Sask Wheat) and Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) – has appointed a new president, following the transition of hosting duties from AWC to MCA.

Lori-Ann Kaminski, research program manager – cereal crops with MCA, is the new CWRC president. The president, who is appointed from the host organization and approved by the CWRC board of directors, is the key contact for external stakeholders.

The CWRC’s operational hosting duties rotate every three years between the three Prairie producer organizations who represent wheat farmers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Hosting duties include administrative functions, such as research funding co-ordination; communications activities,such as website updates and annual reports;and planning and co-ordination of CWRC’s annual general meeting.

“I would like to thank AWC, and Sask Wheat before them,for their significant contributions to build the CWRC’s success during their time as hosts,” says Kaminski.

“MCA strongly believes in the value of the collaborative approach to wheat research that the CWRC promotes and is proud to assume hosting duties for the organization overthe next three years.”

The CWRC facilitates a collaborative approach to producer support of regional and national wheat research in variety development and agronomy. This has included administering the 2018-23 Canadian National Wheat Cluster under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Canadian Agricultural Partnership and now the new 2023-28 Canadian National Wheat Cluster under AAFC’s Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

“This year marks the end of one successful Canadian National Wheat Cluster and the beginning of a new cluster that will lead to innovation in variety development and agronomic practices that allow Canadian wheat producers to increase the net profitability of growing wheat,” says Jake Leguee, CWRC chair and Sask Wheat vice-chair.

“There is a strong return on investment for producers investing in publicly funded wheat research in Canada, and the CWRC continues to lead the way in funding research that addresses the issues that matter most towheat producers across the country.”

Media Contacts:

Cole Christensen
Communications Manager
Manitoba Crop Alliance
403-589-3529

Dallas Carpenter
Communications Manager
Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission
306-653-7967

Paula Campbell
Communications and Events Coordinator
Alberta Grains
587-832-1190

  • 2018-2023 Wheat Cluster

Improving Yield, Yield Stability and Grade Protection in Western Canadian Spring and Durum Wheat Cultivars – An Integrated Approach

  • 2018-2023 Wheat Cluster

Pyramiding Oviposition Deterrence and Sm1 to Control Wheat Midge

  • 2018-2023 Wheat Cluster

Breeding Improved Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) Cultivars

Written by: Ellen Cottee

Lead Researcher: Dr. Richard Cuthbert, AAFC-Swift Current

The wheat industry is always looking for the best: the highest yield, the strongest resistance, top quality, and the goal of strong marketability. It can be difficult to find a variety to check these boxes, but Dr. Cuthbert with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Swift Current is ready to take on the challenge with his latest work in Canadian Prairie Spring Red (CPSR, or CPS Red) breeding research.

Funded in part through the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition’s 2018-2023 cluster, Cuthbert’s research is all about breeding the best CPSR wheat to give farmers a great crop and versatility to enter multiple markets.

“This is a continuation of a lot of work that has been done over the decades,” Cuthbert says about his work. “We’ve worked for many years to breed and improve high-yielding bread wheat varieties for the CPS red market class for farmers.”

The benefit of CPSR wheat is its middle-of-the-road quality, saleable to milling and export markets or feed markets, as opposed to its cousin, Canadian Western Spring wheat, and its place as a premium market product.

“Some people have said you can ride two horses with CPSR,” Cuthbert explains. “That’s really the focus of this, to push grain yield while maintaining milling characteristics.”

Also setting CPSR and CWS apart are the differences in quality parameters varieties fit into, such as limitations on trait selection and use quality. These reduced restrictions in CPSR allow wheat breeding programs to create higher performing lines with diverse genetics and traits, opening more opportunities for research and farmers alike.

“You can have stronger gluten strength, a little more room around milling yield and flower ash,” Cuthbert explained. “Some of those traits that make CWS elite, we have a little bit more room to operate on.”

Cuthbert and his team focus on breeding for high yield and strong diversity, found by using common genomic breeding practices including marker assisted selection and doubled haploidy production.

The research has been successful, with new variety HY2136 gaining registration support at the 2023 Prairie Grain Development Committee annual meeting. Yielding 19% over AC Brandon and 9% over the highest yielding CPS red variety currently available, HY2136 also checks boxes for leaf rust, stem rust, and loose smut resistance, and bears the Sm1 gene for wheat midge resistant.

HY2136 is generated through the crossing of CPS Penhold, CWS variety CDC Titanium, and an advanced line previously Cuthbert’s team created, incorporating high-yield germplasm from both Canada and Australia.

“It brought a lot of things together,” Cuthbert explained. “It’s from a cross that a lot of people would not have made if it weren’t for this type of funding that allowed for these intermediary steps and bringing diversity together.”

Other varieties from Cuthbert’s work are in the pipeline, also scoring high yield and milling quality – along with the ability to cut across different markets.

“It gives the farmer a lot of options, especially in regions where livestock is involved,” Cuthbert said. “You can bolster your feed and forage, and also fulfill milling markets if so desired.”

While the farmer benefits are important, Cuthbert also emphasizes the significance of this work for the future of wheat breeding.

“Where this work will really shine is in providing that stepping block and building parents to move diversity into the highest quality wheat in Canada. It allows that crossover of genetics to happen much more easily,” he explained. “It is going to take decades, but we have already started it.”

  • 2018-2023 Wheat Cluster

Development of Spring Wheat Varieties to Enhance Profitability for Producers in Quebec and Eastern Canada

Written by: Ian Doig

Much of the nation’s spring wheat is grown in Western Canada and shipped abroad, but in Quebec and Eastern Canada, most of the crop is purchased domestically. It has increasingly become an important rotational crop where soy and corn dominate, with half the harvest destined for the feed market and the balance milled for flour.

Demand for locally produced flour is very strong Quebec. To ensure supply, millers often contract directly with farmers. Driven by consumer demand, Quebec bakers are particularly interested in flour produced with organically grown wheat. This robust consumer demand presents opportunities for farmers and challenges for wheat breeders. “Millers want more acres and better quality,” said Silvia Rosa, a wheat breeder with the Centre de recherche sur les grains (CÉROM). She recently spoke to a milling company representative who told her the outfit would gladly purchase the entire Quebec wheat crop but even this would not meet its needs.

Historically, the end-use quality performance of eastern spring wheat varieties in Quebec and Eastern Canada have been affected by multiple factors. Weather variability and the prevalence of Fusarium head blight (FHB) negatively impact its economic potential. For years, the price of milling wheat has remained relatively close to that of feed wheat, favouring high-yielding wheat, whose bread quality is generally inappropriate.

The CÉROM spring wheat development program improves agronomics and end-use qualities that will allow farmers to profit from domestic demand. The 2018 to 2023 Canadian Wheat Cluster provided $856,686 to fund the Centre’s breeding activities. Additional funds were provided by Producteurs de grains du Québec and SeCan.

On the agronomic side of the breeding equation, Rosa emphasizes the improvement of FHB resistance is critical to the spring wheat disease package. And while leaf rust can be problematic for farmers, stripe rust is an emerging concern. To address the needs of millers and bakers, breeders must combine resistance and yield gains with increased protein content and gluten strength.

The work has been supported by the Centre’s indoor quality lab. Built under the previous wheat cluster, it became operational under the latest. Here, researchers conveniently screen breeding lines for desired quality traits indoors rather than in the field.

The Centre also employs breeding material from across the Americas to identify cultivars broadly adaptable to climate change. Rosa leads the project, which last year began testing an array of international cultivars in Quebec, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. “Among these countries the environmental conditions are very different,” she said. “In the past, I had tested some South American cultivars here and adaptability was very good. I am testing in all these locations to find cultivars that could perform well in all, which should help to find genomic regions associated with resilience to stress and broad adaptability.”

The CÉROM track record in wheat breeding speaks for itself. In 2019, AAC Maurice and AAC Volta was registered to commercialization in the Maritimes, Ontario and Quebec. The two varieties were made available to farmers in 2022. Two additional cultivars have been supported for registration during the last two year and are open to commercial adoption.

“It’s a very important project,” said Rosa. “I hope we can continue with the work.”

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