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Bio-progress: What the world wants

Canada is in a good position to capitalize on emerging opportunities, thanks to its crop development research base.

Crop development researchers are tailoring new cereal varieties to capitalize on expanding potential in many areas. Here are just a few examples.

Harvesting new health value from grains. Science has uncovered properties in grains that can enhance the health value of food products or be extracted for use in health supplements.

A leading example is barley. This grain contains higher levels of beta-glucan, a type of fibre linked to reduce levels of blood cholesterol. Barley also contains several powerful antioxidants, most notably tocophenol, which is associated with reducing the risk of cancer. These properties already represent a rapidly growing sector of the emerging "nutraceuticals" market, a burgeoning market of the future expected to represent $250 billion by the year 2020.

Tackling Kyoto with low-till crops. The greatest long-term value of Canadian cropland may not be what's on top of the soil but what's underneath. As initiatives such as the Kyoto Protocol take effect, industries that can reduce emissions of greenhouse gases can earn valuable credits. Because plants represent stored carbon, one of the best ways to do that in agriculture is by increasing the amount of organic matter that stays in the soil.

This means adopting practices that reduce tillage. Crop development researchers are helping spread the adoption of this trend by developing winter cereal crops, such as winter wheat, that are seeded in the fall and emerge early in the spring. Because these crops are seeded into the stubble of the harvested summer crop, they are a perfect fit for "zero-till" production systems.

Reducing livestock pollution with feedgrains. Some simply call it manure, but to crop development researchers it's a lost opportunity. The more livestock feed that passes through the animal, the less that is captured to produce meat and milk.

That's why researchers are taking a sophisticated approach to improving the feed value of common feedgrains such as barley. By tailoring the nutritional components of the feed to meet the digestibility and nutritional parameters of the animal, they can increase performance and reduce waste.

A leading example is low phytate (LP) barley now in development. LP barley is low in phytic acid - a form of phosphorus that is almost indigestible by monogastric livestock such as hogs and poultry, and typically ends up in manure. LP barley varieties contain the same amount of phosphorus, but in a form that is more available to the animal, improving feed efficiency and reducing phosphorus waste by 50 percent or more.

Boosting farm profits. Low commodity prices, tightening margins, unfair international subsidies, and stricter food safety and environmental regulations. These are just a few of the daunting challenges faced by today's Canadian farmers.

How to help them out is probably the question that crop development researchers spend the most time thinking about. This is because the crop varieties and production systems they develop have the most immediate direct impact on farmers - boosting yields and quality, reducing costs, and protecting the crop from agronomic and climatic challenges. Today this research has more power than ever to help the farmer meet intensifying demands and respond to shifting challenges.

Kick-starting potential in alternative fuels. Grain-based ethanol is just one example of the tremendous potential for crop-based bio-fuels. Not only can these fuels create valuable new markets for producers and industry, they can provide renewable, environmentally friendly options that reduce Canada's reliance on foreign energy.

Researchers are working on crop varieties custom-made to get maximum energy value for fuel production, and this just one example of the broad potential for crop-based bio-products. Today, 90 percent of fuels, chemicals and plastics are derived from oil and gas - a non-renewable resource with reserves shrinking every year. The International Energy Agency estimates the world will be at about 50 percent of its current oil and gas capacity by 2020, while energy needs are expected to double by 2050.

Blazing trails to China and other key growth markets. Canadian malting barley's reputation as a world leader leaves it poised to capture growth among China's one billion customers. The Asian giant has opened its doors with economic reform and the widening of its pathways for global business, and, at the same time, its increasingly affluent society is steadily increasing beer consumption - a trend expected to continue for many years.

Crop development researchers are shaping Canadian barley's unique qualities to meet the sophisticated demands of this expanding market.

Next: The search for research excellence