Notice to Industry – DNA profile part of variety CDC Copeland

2024-01-24

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is able to assure growers, stakeholders and industry that the integrity of Canada's seed certification system is robust. The CFIA confirmed that the previously unknown DNA profile is part of the barley variety CDC Copeland, maintaining trust in the quality of the Canadian Seed Certification System and proving the efficacy of CFIA's inspection protocols.

The seed certification system in Canada is a systems approach to determine varietal purity for pedigreed seed based on detailed visual observations of the plants in the field. DNA analysis is a useful tool to support field observations, however, decisions made in Canada's seed certification system are based on visual plant characteristics.

In the winter of 2023 the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) notified the CFIA about a varietal purity issue in grain shipments of the malt barley variety CDC Copeland. The CFIA found that the previously unknown DNA profile is present at low levels in the initial breeder seed of the variety from over 20 years ago. This ruled out the possibility that it was present due to a contamination event and suggested the previously unknown DNA profile is part of the barley variety since its development. Nonetheless, the CFIA committed to study the unknown DNA profile over the 2023 field season to accurately confirm that it is part of barley variety CDC Copeland.

The CFIA observed plants with the previously unknown DNA profile throughout the 2023 growing season, comparing the plants at every growth stage to the breeders description of the variety. No visual differences were observed between plants with the DNA profile and the description of the variety CDC Copeland. As a result, the CFIA confirmed the DNA profile is part of the barley variety CDC Copeland.