MCVET delivers independent, standardized trials with province-wide coverage, broad crop diversity, and decision-ready performance metrics to guide variety selection across Manitoba.
Manitoba Crop Variety
Evaluation Trials (MCVET)
MCVET is Manitoba’s independent, third-party crop variety evaluation program. We provide unbiased, province-wide yield and performance data that helps producers and the seed industry compare varieties across Manitoba’s growing regions.
Committee Members
The MCVET committee is made up of producers, plant breeders, government staff, seed industry representatives and commodity association members who work diligently to ensure crop variety data provided to producers is accurate and unbiased.
Jennifer
Seward
MCVET Chair
Executive Directory,
Manitoba Seed Growers’ Association
jennifer.seward@seedmanitoba.ca
Dennis
Lange
Seed Manitoba Co-Editor
Provincial Pulse Specialist,
Manitoba Agriculture
dennis.lange@gov.mb.ca
Sonia
Wilson
Seed Manitoba Co-Editor
Oilseeds Specialist,
Manitoba Agriculture
sonia.wilson@gov.mb.ca
Brent
McCallum
Plant Pathologist,
Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada
brent.mccallum@agr.gc.ca
Curt
McCartney
Associate Professor,
Department of Plant Science
University of Manitoba
Curt.McCartney@umanitoba.ca
Jody
Gerrard
Provincial Director, Manitoba Seed Growers’ Association
Gerrard Family Seeds
gerrardj@mymts.net
Brad
Pinkerton
Manitoba Marketing Rep,
SeCan
bpinkerton@secan.com
Paul
Gervais
Senior Research Agronomist,
Nutrien
paul.gervais@nutrien.com
Jennifer
McCombe-Theroux
Regional Variety Trial Agronomist, Manitoba
Pulse & Soybean Growers
jennifer@manitobapulse.ca
Andrew
Hector
Agronomy Extension Specialist –
Cereal Crops,
Manitoba Crop Alliance
andrew@mbcropalliance.ca
Advisors
Chami Amarasinghe
Research and Development Specialist,
Manitoba Agriculture
chami.amarasinghe@gov.mb.ca
Anne Kirk
Cereal Specialist,
Manitoba Agriculture
anne.kirk@gov.mb.ca
Shawn Cabak
Farm Production Extension Specialist –
Livestock, Manitoba Agriculture
Shawn.Cabak@gov.mb.ca
What MCVET Delivers
- Independent data: Trials are run and inspected using a standardized protocol across all sites.
- Province-wide insight: Results cover Manitoba as a whole and individual growing regions.
- Broad crop coverage: On average, 23 major and minor crop types are evaluated annually.
- Actionable performance metrics: Yield (standardized for moisture), agronomics, disease, and select quality data (via regional variety registration trials) are compiled in Seed Manitoba to complete the data package for each variety.
Note: Some agronomic, disease, and quality data in Seed Manitoba are not collected by MCVET every year; they come from variety registration trials across Western Canada and are included to round out each variety profile.
Planning
(January-February)
January:
Annual planning meetings determine trial types, number of trials, and site locations.
Late February:
A call for entries generates lists of new and current varieties.
Randomization & replication:
Entries are randomly placed within replicated field trials (3 reps) to reduce variation from topography, texture, fertility, and other factors.
Seed Source & Preparation
(March–April)
Seed supply: Seed companies and breeding institutions ship bare seed to the co-operator for treatment and packaging (starting late March).
Treatment: Seed treatment reflects current industry standards.
Packaging: Amount per entry depends on plot size, germination, and thousand kernel weight. Plot sizes range from 8–16 m² across the province.
Logistics: Seed is shipped to trial co-operators in the last week of April.
Planting & In-Season Checks
(May–August)
Timing: Co-operators plant trials at a similar time to local producers for regionally relevant data.
Early-season tour (early July): Manitoba Agriculture staff verify stand establishment, planting quality, and early weed control.
Issues are corrected promptly: severely affected plots may be treated as missing in analysis, or entire trials may be terminated if necessary.
Pre-harvest tour: Confirms maintenance quality and checks for issues from herbicides, weeds, wildlife, or seeding errors (e.g., verifying awned vs. awnless placements).
Harvest & Data Processing
(Maturity to Post-Harvest)
Harvest: Plots are individually combined, bagged, and tagged once all varieties mature.
Moisture & cleaning: Moisture is measured for each sample; samples are cleaned and weighed (g/plot or kg/ha).
Standardization: Yield data are adjusted to target moisture before analysis, then converted to producer-friendly units (e.g., wheat bu/acre).
Quality testing: Performed on clean samples (e.g., protein for wheat, oil for oilseeds).
Protocols & Site Selection
Standardized protocols: Co-operators receive plot randomizations, workbooks, and protocols covering site selection, seeding, maintenance, weed control, and harvest.
Site criteria:
- At least 30 m from tree lines
- Level, uniform field area
- Proper rotation (no volunteers of the same crop type)
- No residual herbicides that could impact plots
- Producer fields with the same crop type are preferred so fertilizer/chemical regimes match the surrounding crop.
Fungicide Policy:
No fungicides are applied. MCVET measures genetic potential and avoids introducing variation from fungicide timing across many varieties (e.g., 45 wheat varieties).
How the Trials Work
Frequently Asked Questions
When does MCVET planning start?
Planning starts in January each year. Trial types, locations, and entry lists are confirmed by late February, followed by randomization and replication.
How many crops and locations are included?
MCVET typically evaluates ~23 crop types every year across multiple locations. The number of sites depends on crop adaptation within Manitoba.
Are fungicides used in the trials?
No. To measure genetic potential consistently, fungicides are not applied.
How are sites chosen?
Sites must be uniform, follow proper rotation, be free of problematic residues, and meet spacing and layout requirements per MCVET protocol.