Researchers have achieved a new wheat to make Canada proud.

"Saskhardy #8" is the first spring wheat with cold tolerance approaching that found in winter wheat, offering plant breeders the opportunity to develop varieties that could save farmers multi-millions in reduced frost damage.

"This is a true Canadian wheat - one that has the hardiness and cold tolerance to survive the often harsh climate of our prairie growing area," says Dr. Brian Fowler of the University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre (CDC), who developed the wheat along with CDC colleague Dr. Allen Limin. The project was a spin-off of a long-term winter wheat project funded by the Saskatchewan Government's Agriculture Development Fund until 2004, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF).

"Spring wheat varieties grown in Western Canada are damaged by exposure to even a slight frost," says Fowler, a wheat breeder. "By contrast, this new wheat line can survive typical frosts without any significant damage."

Saskhardy #8 is not a registered variety, he points out, but it will be used as a breeding line to produce adapted varieties.

More information on this progress is available in the June edition of Western Grains Research Magazine, now on the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) Web site. Western Canadian wheat and barley growers are major investors in breeding research through the Wheat and Barley Check-off Funds, administered by WGRF. The Research Magazine offers "Ideas and issues for farmer research investors."

The superior frost tolerance genes in Saskhardy #8 were transferred from Norstar, an older generation winter wheat variety. "The winter wheat varieties grown in Western Canada must have a very high level of cold tolerance in order to survive our winters," says Fowler. "Norstar, which is a parent in most of our current winter wheat varieties, ranks amongst the hardiest."

The cold tolerance of the new wheat line has been tested under tough conditions, he says. When sown in the fall at the same time as winter wheat, Saskhardy #8 achieved a winter hardiness level approaching that of Norstar and was able to survive the high stress winters of 2003-04 and 2004-05.

Compared to other spring wheat lines, it has a 2-3°C improvement in frost tolerance when actively growing at 20°C, combined with a very rapid initial rate of acclimation once temperatures drop below 8-10°C.

In the past 30 years, plant breeding efforts that target the western Canadian prairies have created cultivars with a high level of adaptation, but producers still lose millions of dollars each year in potential crop productivity and market quality due to frost damage.

"While we should not need a reminder of our vulnerability to low temperature extremes, 2003-04 provided a mean summer temperature that was among the lowest on record in Western Canada," says Fowler. "Plant development was delayed by the cool growing season, and untimely frosts severely damaged immature crops. The result was economic losses that easily exceed half a billion dollars."

Even in years without major frosts, varieties with the cold tolerance of Saskhardy #8 will have an advantage by extending the growing season, allowing more flexibility in management choices, and providing opportunities to reduce herbicide costs through better crop competition. Other benefits include increased crop moisture utilization, reduced energy requirements, and increased productivity while using more environmentally friendly farming systems.

Ongong breeding work with Saskhardy #8 is supported by the Saskatchewan Government's Agriculture Development Fund and the Wheat Check-off Fund, administered by WGRF. Research funding from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council, Ducks Unlimited Canada, SeCan, and Genome Canada/Genome Prairie has allowed University of Saskatchewan scientists to develop research tools that streamline the breeding process.

The June edition of Western Grains Research Magazine, at www.westerngrains.com, also includes a feature article on Millhouse, a new barley variety that launches the crop's potential for milling wheat products. Another article provides perspective on research funding from Dave Sefton, a Broadview, Sask., producer and Vice Chair of WGRF.