The oat (Avena sativa L.) breeding program at the Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre of Agriculture & Agri‐Food Canada has the responsibility to breed new oat cultivars for producers in eastern Canada, which includes Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces. A 3‐yr multilocation test was conducted to understand the genotype × location interaction patterns and the relationships among test locations in eastern Canada. A genotype + genotype × environment interaction biplot analysis of yield data revealed three distinct oat mega‐environments in eastern Canada: (i) northern Ontario, (ii) southern and eastern Ontario, and (iii) Quebec and Atlantic Canada. To breed for all mega‐environments, initial yield screening must be conducted at locations representing each of these mega‐environments. Based on the relationships among test locations, six essential test locations were identified: three in Ontario, two in Quebec, and one in Atlantic Canada. Testing at all six locations appeared to provide a good coverage of the whole oat‐growing area in eastern Canada. Based on these findings, a breeding and test strategy was developed. This includes conducting initial yield screening at three locations in Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada, followed by a formal yield test at all six essential test locations. Specifically adapted genotypes selected from this test will then be tested in the Registration Tests in their respectively adapted subregions.

er did not improve the spermatozoa survival, it allowed to preserve the fertilizing ability one more day than with the BL I extender. It could be used till the third day after collection since, in this case, the gestation rate was still 77 p. 100

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Twenty-five hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) lines, including three known cultivars used as checks, were grown in seven locations across Eastern Canada. The objective of this multi-location experiment was to evaluate selected Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre advanced lines (ECAD lines) from the Spring Wheat Breeding Program in order to identify the best lines for performance and grower trials. The lines from this trial performed very well compared to the check varieties, especially at the Ontario locations. Overall, the ECAD lines were on a par with or superior to the checks in terms of several attributes, including yield, protein content, and Fusarium head blight resistance.

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