What’s in a name? Dr. Aaron Beattie walks through a field of oat at the Kernen Crop Research Facility. (photo by Chris Hendrickson Photography)

New CDC oat variety honours fallen RCMP Constable.

CDC Anson, is a milling oat variety released by the Crop Development Centre and named by its commercialization partner.

CDC Anson, a newly released milling oat variety was developed by Dr. Aaron Beattie (PhD), the barley and oat breeder in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources’ Crop Development Centre (CDC) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).  The variety originated from a cross between the line OT3068 and the variety 'CS Camden' and provides to the shortest straw height available in an oat variety.

The new milling oat variety provides excellent yield potential and very good standability.  It has outstanding milling characteristics with a high groat percentage (germ, bran and endosperm) along with high beta glucan levels that are important for heart healthy foods.  CDC Anson has shown early demand for end-use products in the food market.

When choosing a name for the new release, Beattie relied on our commercialization partner, FP Genetics, whose recent program involves naming varieties after service members.  Constable Douglas Bernard Anson was an 11-year member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.  In October 1970, the 30-year-old constable and his partner responded to a domestic dispute, they were both shot and killed in the line of duty.  Both Constable Anson and his partner Sargeant Bob Schrader were buried with full honours at the RCMP Cemetery at Depot Division Regina.

More information about CDC Anson is available from FP Genetics or the Government of Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

https://www.fpgenetics.ca/oats/milling-oats/anson/#:~:text=CDC%20Anson's%20very%20short%20plant,seen%20early%20end%2Duse%20demand.

https://active.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/pbrpov/cropreport/oat/app00012569e.shtml?wbdisable=true