The KVD story began in 1999 when registration of a high yielding, FHB wheat variety developed through a Keystone Agricultural Producers/Cereal Research Centre CARD-funded project was blocked due to KVD restrictions. Recognizing the impact this held for future advancement of the western Canadian wheat industry, MRAC and its sister councils struck a KVD task force which resulted in holding a conference to explore alternatives. MRAC was an active proponent of pursuing and pushing for alternative technologies.
MRAC then funded the Western Feed Grain Development Co-op to enable a high yielding, FHB wheat variety for feed and biofuel feedstock to be developed and made available in such a manner as to mitigate KVD concerns. Around this time, KVD was lifted and in comes NeoVentures Biotechnology and the Canadian Wheat Board with projects for variety identification alternatives.
MRAC was one of the first organizations to recognize the system needed to be changed. MRAC had this topic on its radar from 1999 to the time KVD was eliminated, and is still active on this front today.
To learn more about these related projects click on the following links:
http://www.mrac.ca/content/testing-target-molecules-identifying-wheat-varieties
http://www.mrac.ca/content/confirmation-variety-id-process-resulting-testing-target-molecules-identifying-wheat-varieti
http://www.mrac.ca/content/development-wheat-flag-system
http://www.mrac.ca/content/optimization-bar-code-detection-system-cwrs-wheat-varieties
