The Partnership
- In July 2022, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) launched the first new breeding partnership with Limagrain Field Seeds
- Limagrain is the fourth largest seed company in the world and has extensive experience in research and breeding in major and minor crops worldwide and is a farmer-owned co-operative governed by a farmer-led Board of Directors
- This new partnership has attracted new additional investment and additional pulse breeding capacity in Saskatchewan
The Focus
- Pea and lentil breeding
- Based in Saskatoon, SK
- Leveraging research sites across Saskatchewan
- Both SPG and Limagrain are contributing germplasm and upfront investments to the collaboration
- Breeding priorities are focused on growers’ greatest priorities, identified by SPG, with speed and a commercial focus, including:
- Solutions to root disease in peas and lentils
- Additional herbicide tolerance in lentils
- Yield gains under varying conditions
- Increased protein content
A full-scale field program with peas and lentils began with seeding in 2022 and will continue building in 2023 and beyond.
The New Commercialization Process
- New varieties will be commercialized through seed companies
- New varieties will be royalty-bearing
- Farmers will purchase certified seed through seed companies
- Farmers are likely to pay a trailing royalty on farm-saved seed (by acre) through a Variety Use Agreement (VUA)
Timing & Expectations
- New varieties will start to be released to growers under this new model as early as 2025
- However, it is important to note that the real fruits of this new partnership will be realized by growers in future years, as new lines bred by Limagrain here in Saskatchewan are developed and become available to growers
- Breeding is a long-term process and it takes several years to move from the beginning of the breeding process to having new varieties ready for commercialization
