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Q: As we close in on the first full year of WCI, can you provide an update on how the plant breeding process is going?
Lori Oatway: The breeding pipeline remains firmly on schedule under the Western Crop Innovations (WCI) banner. We are excited to have had 5 new lines accepted for registration in February: three triticale entries (two spring, one winter) for feed and forage, and two barley entries (one forage, one feed). All five have already been released for commercialization bids, with full details to follow once licensing is finalized.
Operationally, the program is now in peak field season. All yield trials, head-rows and seed-increase blocks are established, herbicide applications are underway, and our typical plot maintenance cycle has begun. Over the past 3 years, we have made several changes to our program to streamline processes within our breeding programs. We continue to fine-tune those efficiencies to accelerate the development of new varieties and look for new ways to innovate.
Q: Can you shed some light on what ‘speed breeding’ is and how WCI is making sure the desired traits are showing up in variety trials?
Lori Oatway: Speed breeding uses controlled-environment technologies—growth rooms, extended photoperiods, and optimized temperature regimes—to shorten the generation cycle and advance new lines quickly. WCI advances two additional generations indoors each winter:
- Cycle 1: sown early September, harvested December
- Cycle 2: sown early January, harvested April
Seed from the April harvest is sown directly into spring field nurseries.
To ensure that target traits are retained we use Single Seed Decent as a way to accelerate the development of genetically uniform lines from our segregating populations. This further shortens the breeding cycle and improves selection accuracy. We also utilize biotechnology techniques to screen for specific traits throughout this process enabling earlier, more accurate selection of these traits. This integrated approach cuts two years from the breeding timeline without compromising selection accuracy.
Q: Can you tell me about the relationship that WCI has with Olds College? How are they contributing to the uptake and development of new malting barley varieties?
Lori Oatway: Although WCI now operates as an independent organization, our partnership with Olds College remains strong. A current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) enables us to maintain equipment on-site and access key laboratory facilities. We also continue to operate research plots at the college, continuing a legacy of over 40 years.
In support of malting barley development, WCI’s state-of-the-art micro-malt unit is housed within the college’s teaching brewery. This unique arrangement provides direct interaction with brewing researchers, offering valuable feedback on the performance and brewing quality of our experimental lines.
Beyond malting, we also benefit from strong partnerships in feed and forage evaluation—critical components of our barley and triticale breeding programs. The diverse expertise within the research teams at Olds College continues to create opportunities for deeper collaboration on innovative, mutually beneficial projects.
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