Features Agronomy Cereals
Funding boost for winter wheat research

Jan. 7, 2014, Guelph, ON - The federal government is investing up to $422,000 to the Ontario Cereal Industry Research Council (OCIRC) to research winter wheat gluten quality.

The research will identify traits that will help build new markets for winter wheat through enhanced milling and more product uses. The goal of this research is to help farmers benefit from the development of new, locally adaptable winter wheat varieties that can meet the changing preferences of buyers.

According to Henry Olechowski, president of the OCIRC, the organization's members view the project as strategically very important to maintaining a competitive position in winter wheat in Ontario, one of the province's leading cash crops. "We are very pleased with the research team that has been attracted to the University of Guelph to enable this project to be undertaken," he says. "Advancing our understanding of and application of protein functionality in winter wheat will enable our sector to be more innovative in processes and products."

Ontario grows 73 per cent of Canada's winter wheat with a market value of over $500 million.

January 8, 2014  By Top Crop Manager