b'time, a strong tradition of producer sup- this situation often leads to diverging port, both in terms of funding and advo- approaches, and in many aspects, itsPRIVATE PLANT BREEDING cacy, has emerged in the western partquite a bifurcation, Kantar notes.FUNDING IN CANADA SURGINGof the country for these pulse and cerealIt essentially boils down to the avail-programs, Comin said. ability of funds and the alignment with This funding from producers is oftenthe demands of farmers. When theresIn a major study conducted in 2018, total private matched by government contributions,financial support and a clear demandsector research investment in plant breeding, effectively creating a subsidized environ- from growers, a more applied approachresearch and varietal development was projected to ment for these programs. This combina- becomes feasible, catering directly togrow to approximately C$179 million in 2022, a 56% tion of factors, along with the widespreadthose immediate needs.increase since 2012.use of farm-saved seed, the absence ofTake the example here in Hawaii withThis investment growth is predominant in: a universal seed royalty on saved seed,papaya seeds. About two decades ago, and a robust registration system for thesea widely known variety called RainbowSource: JRG Consultingcrops, has effectively kept the privatepapaya was released, and it remains highly2%sector from gaining a significant foothold. popular. Interestingly, this variety hap-On the eastern side of Canada, therespens to be a hybrid, and the University of a higher prevalence of certified seedHawaii Foundation remains a major seed8%usage, which has allowed for more privateproducer, thereby maintaining breeding11%sector involvement. endeavors through seed sales, Kantar says. 15%The private and public sectors haveOne significant advantage we possess12%different goals, which has implicationsin the public sector is the ability to sustain for research. these projects over the long term, he13%The primary goals underlying publicadds. A prime example of this is a gradu-breeding efforts, which Gonzelez hasate student hes supervising. Theyre cur-observed across various regions glob- rently in their fourth selection cycle for a ally, revolve around enhancing the qualityproject that was initiated in 1981.Canola Corn (11%)of cultivars for the predominant cropsMaintaining a project that doesnt gen- Soybean Pulses (8%) cultivated within a specific country orerate direct revenue for over four decadesWheat Barley (2%)ecosystem.isnt something youd typically find in the Public breeding programs bear aprivate sector.substantial burden of social responsibility,In Canada, when it comes to public with an inclination to cater to the needs ofbreeding programs, the focus tends to the entire farming community, transcend- lean towards more upstream research. ing market divisions and similar factors.This often involves whats known as pre- PUBLIC PLANT BREEDING Ive also noted that the influence of publicbreeding, essentially research that hap- CAPACITY IN THE UNITED STATES breeding is particularly pronounced inpens before the final commercializationIN CRISIScountries with lower income levels, hephase. says.In pre-breeding, the aim is to develop The positive impacts span a widetraits that will eventually find their way into In 2018, almost 80% of public plant breeding spectrum, from bolstering food availabilitycommercially viable varieties. This typeprograms reported annual budgets of US$400,000 to curbing the reliance on imports andof work is riskier and tends to be moreor less. stabilizing input prices. In essence, theseexpensive. Plus, a significant part of this Institutional funds, federal competitive grants, and programs seem to have a broader, moreeffort involves training the next genera- commodity check-off programs accounted for 67% inclusive scope. tion of researchers, including students,of program budgets. Turning to private breeding programs,postdoctoral fellows, and other emerging their core objectives dont fundamentallytalents in the field.Many programs reported that budget shortfalls or differ from their public counterparts: toOn the other hand, private breedinguncertainty endangered or severely constrained provide optimal cultivars for farmers.organizations have a different motivation.or seriously constrained their ability to support key However, theres a key distinction. PrivateTheir bottom line relies on selling the vari- personnel, infrastructure and operations, and access initiatives are constrained by the necessityeties they develop as soon as possible.to current technology for collecting, analyzing, and for profitability and a return on invest- As a result, they generally focus theirapplying knowledge from phenotype and genotype ment. This aspect is quite clear-cut.efforts on the realm of near-commerciali- data on plant materials in their programs.Its quite interesting to observe howzation. Theyre geared towards fine-tuningSource: Plant breeding capacity in U.S. public institutionsOCTOBER 2023SEEDWORLD.COM /63'