Four Chinese agricultural scientists visited the Agriculture Canada Lethbridge Research Centre recently to investigate the potential for increasing Chinese imports of Canadian alfalfa seed.
Verticillium wilt of alfalfa is a major concern of the Chinese government when making import decisions. During the visit, Lethbridge scientists presented evidence that Canada’s stringent precautions against verticillium wilt, as well as its highly resistant alfalfa varieties, made Canadian seed a good option for Chinese agriculture.
The Lethbridge Research Centre has released three of the world’s most resistant alfalfa varieties, said Lethbridge forage breeder Surya Acharya.
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“These varieties can be used to combat or reduce the risk of this disease, and China will be better off to buy our seed for that purpose.”
The resistant varieties are Barrier, AC Blue J and AC Longview. They are high yielding and widely adapted to harsh winter conditions.
China’s alfalfa acreage is expanding rapidly, and Canada could be an increasingly important supplier, Acharya said.
“Already, Canadian seed has increased from about one third to one half of all Chinese alfalfa seed imports, and that could increase in the future.”
Henry Huang, a forage pathologist at the centre, also hosted the visitors
“China is a very big potential market for Canadian producers, not only for alfalfa seeds, but eventually for leafcutter bees as well. So two of our industries could benefit from the visit,” said Huang.
The group visited the centre as part of a tour that included stops at Alberta Agriculture’s Crop Diversification Centre South in Brooks, and several locations in the United States.
Canada is on China’s quarantine map because of the risk of verticillium wilt, Huang said.
“But with 50 percent of Canadian seed production in the Peace River region, which has remained free of the disease, and restricted movement from at-risk areas, there is little risk of contamination.
“Because our seed production is in the Peace River region, and if the producers are using our verticillium wilt resistant varieties for producing the seeds, the Chinese shouldn’t have concerns about buying our seeds,” Acharya said.
China’s interest in Canadian seed may be growing in part due to concerns about using Chinese alfalfa varieties, said Acharya.
“Generally, China’s alfalfa cultivars are not as productive as ours, and many of their varieties are highly susceptible to verticillium wilt. With expanded production using our seed, the Chinese can satisfy their own market, and also start exporting to other Asian markets.”
In Inner Mongolia, alfalfa is important to the livestock industry. Alfalfa is labeled as a priority legume because of its high nutritional value and its tap root that helps it cope with drought.
