Don't Miss This Free Seed Webinar Series!
Legumes: Diversification, Crop Rotation, and Seed Supply
JULY 20, 2021: 1PM - 2:30PM (ET)
Speakers: Neil Whatley and Ayitre Akpakouma
Description: Legumes are increasingly in high demand, whether by farmers for their crop rotation and nitrogen-fixating ability, or by consumers as alternative sources of protein and iron. However, there is a lack of readily available information about niche and emerging legume crops, in addition to challenges in seed availability, especially certified organic seeds. In this webinar, you will learn about 5 niche legume crops, why you might want to consider them for your crop rotation, how to grow them, and the status of their seed availability. This webinar is for grain growers of any scale in the Prairies and the rest of Canada.
Beets: Breeding for Flavour and Colour
JULY 29, 2021: 1PM - 2:30PM (ET)
Speakers: Solveig Hanson, Mel Sylvestre
Description: Solveig literally wrote the book (well, the dissertation) on table beet flavour. Rich, sweet, and earthy, beet flavour is in part determined by its levels of geosmin, which our guest has researched in detail. Join us to learn more about this work, the impact of geosmin and other flavour compounds in beet cultivar popularity, and learn how to select beets for flavour. This webinar is for farmers who love growing beets, those interested in on-farm beet breeding, and participants in the 2021 B.C. Citizen Seed Trials.
Red Carrots: A Participatory Breeding Project - August 2021 (date to be confirmed)
Speakers: Chris Thoreau, Solveig Hansen
Description: This webinar presentation and discussion will explore the participatory red carrot breeding work that farmers have been engaging with, with the support of researchers and coordinators in British Columbia, California, Oregon, and Wisconsin. In breeding this beautifully bright biennial, researchers and growers alike have experienced some real challenges and triumphs, and the process has a lot to teach us about collaboration in our seed systems, the value of perseverance, and the importance of having multiple redundancies built into a plant breeding project. Join us to hear the full story! This webinar is for farmers and seed growers who are interested in carrot breeding and who have been participating in these efforts, including those who trialed red carrots for the CANOVI program.
Fresh Peas: Botany and Genetics - Summer 2021 (date to be confirmed)
Speakers: Duane Falk
Description: Pisum Sativum has a foundational place in our understanding of genetics and how traits are passed from one generation to the next. What began in an Austrian monastery in the 1800s -- when Gregor Mendel experimented with peas to formulate his genetics theories -- continues today in both formal research settings, and on farms and in gardens across the country. Join us for this conversation about why we love to study peas, and what the current plant breeding priorities and projects for this plant are in Canada and beyond. This webinar is for farmers and gardeners who love to grow and experiment with peas, as well as save their seeds.
Beans: Breeding and Selecting Specialty Varieties - September 2021 (date to be confirmed)
Speakers: to be confirmed.
Description: Beans are easy to grow for seed because they are self-pollinated and protected by their pods from environmental conditions. Beans are also extremely diverse, whether in their plant habit (dwarf, vining), their intended use (fresh, dry), or their color palette. In this webinar, you will learn from gardeners and plant breeders who are growing, trialing, selecting and breeding unique bean varieties about plant botany and hand pollination for beans, defining your own plant breeding goals and criteria, as well as managing disease issues. This webinar is intended for gardeners, seed companies and small-scale vegetable growers.
How to Breed Your Own Potato Variety - October 2021 (date to be confirmed)
Speakers: Helen Jensen, Christopher Kelly-Bisson, Duane Falk
Description: Farmers across Canada have been breeding potatoes on their farms, with the support of The Bauta Initiative, since 2013. Join our guests for this fascinating conversation about the rationale, agronomy, and policy implications of farmer-bred potatoes, and what lies ahead for farmers who are blazing a new trail of potato diversity. This webinar is for the many farmers breeding their own potato varieties as part of our PPB program, as well as everyone interested in potato breeding.
Rutabaga: Learning Biennial Seed Cultivation - October 2021 (date to be confirmed)
Speakers: to be confirmed
Description: Biennials like rutabaga, are among the more challenging crops to save seed from. They require lots of space, population, and isolation distance, not to mention advanced planning and effective overwintering strategies. Join us for this conversation about best practices for biennial seed crop cultivation and selection, using the hardy, delicious, and humble rutabaga as our case study. This webinar is for farmers who love growing rutabaga, seed growers who would like to increase their biennial seed saving, and CANOVI participants trialing rutabaga.
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