In July of 2022, Limagrain Cereals Research Canada (LCRC) under Limagrain Field Seeds (LFS) proudly announced their breeding partnership with Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG). This strategic collaboration marks the growth of LCRC’s breeding program to now include pulses.
A full-scale field program with peas and lentils began with seeding in 2022 and will continue building in 2023 and beyond. Both SPG and Limagrain are investing in germplasm and upfront resources, while focusing their efforts on addressing growers’ primary concerns. These include root diseases in peas and lentils, additional herbicide tolerance in lentils, enhanced yield performance under varying conditions, and increased protein content. Farmers should anticipate the introduction of these new varieties as early as 2025.
The partnership will continue to provide benefits to growers for the years to follow as Limagrain develops and releases new lines. As a long-term endeavor, breeding requires years of dedication before new varieties are ready for commercial use.
Under their partnership, changes to the commercialization process are also underway. New varieties arising from this partnership will be brought to market through seed companies, ensuring widespread availability. New varieties will be royalty-bearing as farmers purchase certified seed through seed companies. And farmers are likely to pay a trailing royalty on farm-saved seed through a Variety Use Agreement (VUA).
Both Limagrain and SPG are farmer-led organizations with farmer-based Boards of Directors, which aligns with their shared visions of advancing profitable growth for farmers. The partnership, headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is positioned to use research sites throughout the province.
Limagrain looks forward to the strides that they will take with SPG to enhance crop productivity to benefit farmers in Saskatchewan and across Western Canada.