Multi-Purpose Durum Wheat Developed

REGINA - Feb 10/03 - SNS -- Plant breeders in Saskatchewan have developed a new durum wheat variety which produces flour which can be used to make or durum as well as alternative wheat variety called CDC Nexon. Limited amounts of seed are available to farmers through CDC at the University of Saskatchewan.

The project, Processing and Breeding of Improved Alternative Wheats, was undertaken by Dr. Pierre Hucl, a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, and supported by Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization's (SAFRR) Agriculture Development Fund (ADF).

A previous ADF project had demonstrated that alternative wheats such as spring-type spelt, einkorn, Khorasan and emmer wheats are adapted to Saskatchewan growing conditions and can be grown under organic conditions, so the project mainly focused on spelt because this type of wheat already has a niche market.

"During our previous project, we had interim-registered the soft spring spelt CDC Bavaria, now called CDC Nexon," says Hucl. "Spelt wheat is nutritious, has a unique flavor when subjected to certain processing conditions, and showed promise in particular cereal products, depending on the cultivar. The objective of the next project, therefore, was to develop an awnless spring spelt wheat with a winter spelt protein profile."

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