The Eastern, Western and Northern Prairies vary in their growing conditions and hence the breeding programs focus on region specific issues such as biotic stress, abiotic stress and early maturing genotypes for the three regions respectively. The key challenges for Canadian wheat breeding programs are to pyramid resistance for major wheat diseases such as Fusarium head blight (FHB), and rusts. Orange Wheat Blossom Midge and Wheat Stem Sawfly are insect problems in the Canadian Prairies. To make significant genetic gains, combat the unpredictable climate and evolving pathogen pressure, breeding efforts must integrate traditional breeding tools with advances in genomics, phenomics, big data and artificial intelligence. The presentation will discuss some of the advances in wheat breeding for the Canadian Prairies.
2020
Fred will highlight what the MWBGA organization has been working on over the last year.
2019 was one of the most challenging cropping seasons in the prairie provinces in decades. Weather conditions were not ideal from drought, to flash flooding, to hail, to wind, to rain and snow during harvest. Tough Conditions push growers to the extreme but farmers are the most resilient creatures we know. Join this panel as they talk through 2019, the harvest challenges, lessons and outcomes. They will talk about conditioning grains, oilseeds and pulses while showcasing innovations in research and equipment when it comes to the end product.
The ways we farm are always adapting, and right now we’re in the middle of a machinery revolution. Whether it’s bringing back practices of old or inventing something never before seen, the way we farm and the machinery we use is changing quickly. Spencer will talk about the times before GPS and auto steer and explore how large scale ag has changed both the sizes and types of equipment needed to succeed on the modern farm. Current and up-coming innovations in the machinery industry like automation, robotics, data utilization, and other major machinery advancements will be highlighted.
“Trusting the DATA” – for the last 20 years we have witnessed vast change and development in Precision Ag…..but what has not changed is the ongoing challenge of implementing and trusting it. What is changing is the “data interest” in production agriculture around the world. How are you as a producer prepared to adopt these changes in your operation, and leverage it for your operations benefit along with your trusted partners? Ryan will help us understand the Soil Moisture in Dry land agriculture and how it can become a proactive tool in your operation for you the business owner, and your trusted advisors.
In Spring of 2019 DOT entered its first year of early commercialization. Today Jason Willner will be speaking to his experience with the Dot Power Platform, and share some stories about DOT’s experience with the first few customers. DOT Technology Corp is on an exciting path to autonomy, and Jason will be sharing some insights about that journey and how you can prepare your farm for the adoption of autonomous technology.
