Bayer has been among the most-grown canola varieties for the last three years, which is a rare feat in today’s seed market
As farmers finalize plans on what crops and varieties they will be planting in 2018, they can look back on what were the most popular varieties grown on the Prairies last year.
Every year the Canadian Grain Commission compiles the list from provincial crop insurance data.
The top canola variety grown in 2017 was Bayer CropScience’s InVigor L252, which accounted for 16 percent of the 18.5 million insured acres.
It was also one of the most popular varieties of the previous two years.
“That is pretty significant, that one variety is hanging on for three years in a row as one of the top varieties,” said Daryl Beswitherick, the commission’s program manager for national inspection standards.
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Longevity at the top is a rarity for crops like canola, corn and soybeans where new and improved varieties are constantly hitting the market because of efficient breeding techniques and substantial investment by seed technology companies.
Bayer’s L140P and L233P rounded out the top three spots due to strong uptake of their pod shatter reduction traits.
Agriculture Canada’s AAC Brandon wheat took top spot in the spring wheat category, accounting for 24 percent of the 9.7 million insured acres, up from 12 percent in 2016 and three percent in 2015.
“This particular variety Brandon has some of the best fusarium resistance that is out there,” said Beswitherick.
The variety was originally intended for the eastern prairie region, but with widespread fusarium damage in 2016, it has gained traction in the West all the way into Alberta.
“We’re hearing some people say it could go up to 50 percent in 2018, but time will tell on that one,” he said.
Agriculture Canada’s Transcend took the durum category by storm with 43 percent of the 2.9 million acres.
“These new varieties have really good colour that the end users want,” said Beswitherick.
The CPSR wheat category was dominated by Agriculture Canada’s AAC Penhold, which garnered a 59 percent share of the 622,137 acres.
“That’s what we really wanted to see. That’s the one variety that really started to increase because of the wheat class modernization,” he said.
Soybeans were easily the most competitive category with Syngenta’s S007-Y4 eking out the win, capturing 6.6 percent of the 2.7 million insured acres.
The Crop Development Centre’s CDC Maxim dominated the lentil category with 39 percent of the 3.2 million acres, while CDC Meadow handily took the pea category with a 46 percent share of the 2.9 million acres.
In barley it’s all about the older varieties. CDC Copeland from the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre took the honours with 48 percent of the two million insured acres, followed by Agriculture Canada’s Metcalfe at 32 percent.
“The larger malting companies don’t want to change their recipes, and so the older varieties really stick around,” said Beswitherick.
In oats it was a tight three-way race with Agriculture Canada’s AC Morgan getting 21 percent of the 1.4 million acres, followed by Canterra Seeds’ CS Camden at 19 percent and Agriculture Canada’s AC Summit at 16 percent.
The Crop Development Centre’s CDC Bethune and CDC Sorrel were the top flax varieties, accounting for 25 and 20 percent of the 706,503 acres, respectively.
“There is very little new flax breeding going on. I think there is only one program left,” said Beswitherick.
Pioneer’s P7632AM corn was best in the West with 17 percent of the 417,149 acres.
