Bayer to construct wheat facility in Canada

Bayer plans to construct a new wheat breeding facility this year near Saskatoon, Canada.


Marcus Weidler, head of cereals seeds and traits at Bayer CropScience, says construction of Bayer’s new Canadian wheat breeding facility will begin this year on a 480-acre parcel of land near Pike Lake, Sask., southwest of Saskatoon.


Engineers are in the final stages of planning the facility, which will be a fully equipped breeding station that includes lab facilities for testing wheat quality.


Bayer is already operating a wheat breeding program at Innovation Place in Saskatoon. It was launched 18 months ago and employs eight full-time workers and seasonal staff.


Bayer has used the program to test germplasm from its other wheat breeding facilities.