Time to step up to the plate for Canadian grains research

With numerous studies showing grains research delivers strong investment value, Canada faces the question of why it doesn't invest more in this research, says a veteran barley breeding scientist.

"We have built a strong research base, and we need to keep this in tact in order to capitalize on where we need to go in the future," says Dr. Jim Helm, head of research at the Field Crop Development Centre in Lacombe. "We're not doing that."

The investment value of crop development research for grains is not a question. One study, by independent economist Dr. Joseph Nagy, put the return on investment in Field Crop Development Centre research at a minimum 10-to-one. Numerous studies have consistently pegged crop development research for grains as delivering strong investment value - among the strongest of any research in agriculture.

To many in the grains industry and grains research community, it's puzzling why there isn't more investment in this research.

"In barley development in Canada, we've seen our budgets generally dropping over the past 10-15 years," says Helm. "That is a big concern for me, and I'm speaking from the standpoint of the agriculture industry as a whole. We cannot see this budget drop anymore."

Helm discusses several key aspects of the grains research funding issue in a new article on the Meristem Land and Science Web site, www.meristem.com. Land and Science is a service featuring information on the sustainability of agriculture, food production and the environment. It is presented by Meristem Information Resources Ltd., in co-operation with partners in agriculture, food, environment and life sciences.

Canada has about the half the researchers in barley breeding as it did 10 years ago, observes Helm. "Right now, we have six barley breeders in Western Canada for 10-11 million acres of barley. It's unbelievable.

"U.S. barley production is now dropping this year below four million acres. Barley is going to become a specialty crop down there. There's going to be fewer acres of barley in the U.S. this year, than oats. And Australia has about half of Canada's acreage. Both countries are spending two to three times or more than we are on barley genetics and all the other related types of research. Meanwhile, we're having a difficult time here just keeping our basic programs funded. How do we keep up?"

The need for strong public funding is a key factor, but Helm is also disappointed in the lack of support from industry. For his program, which focuses heavily on feed barley development, a major source of frustration is the beef industry, which benefits greatly from strong barley production fueled by strong crop development, yet largely fails to recognize the value of variety improvements or significantly support that effort. By contrast, Australia has benefited from strong cooperation and funding across industry sectors.

"I don't believe the livestock industry is stepping up to the plate," says Helm. "They just want cheap. I think they're afraid to change their approach, because they're afraid that they're going to have to pay more for research or more for barley as its true value is recognized. And I think that's a fear based on bad economics. Barley development research is an investment that generates higher returns in the market for everyone involved. If we can develop systems that benefit both the crop producer and the livestock producer, everyone wins in the end."

Canada needs strong support for its crop development research, and that needs to happen soon, says Helm. Everyone, from the research and investment decision-makers to the many industry sectors that benefit from this research, needs to be more aware of the stakes and to do their part. "It's a simple decision - support it or lose it," he says. "The time is now to get our crop development system back on track."

Also available on Meristem Land and Science is a new report on the grains research funding issue, "Perspective on Crop Development: The Elephant in the Room." This report can be viewed at www.meristem.com.

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