MORDEN, Man. – Clearfield sunflower varieties could be commercially available in Canada within two years, giving growers an added edge against weeds.
Producers now have limited weed control options when growing sunflowers, especially with in-crop herbicide applications.
“I’m very optimistic that by the 2007 crop year we will have Clearfield,” said Mel Reimer, executive director of the National Sunflower Association of Canada.
“It’s already grown in the U.S. The advantage appears to be the farmer is spending less time in the field controlling weeds.”
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Clearfield sunflowers are tolerant to imidazoline herbicides. No other herbicide-tolerant sunflower varieties are registered in Canada.
Weed control issues have discouraged farmers from growing sunflowers. The introduction of herbicide tolerant varieties could arouse more interest in the crop.
“The big thing that it’s going to give us is one-pass weed control, in crop, of grassy weeds as well as broadleaf weeds,” said Rob Park, an oilseeds specialist with Manitoba Agriculture.
BASF, which owns the Clearfield technology, must register the herbicide that will be used with the crop as well as the sunflower varieties.
The timing of those registrations could affect whether Clearfield sunflowers will be commercially available to growers in 2007.
“The challenge will be getting a herbicide registered in time,” Park said.
“If that doesn’t happen, we push it back another year and we’re into 2008.”
Data is available about how the Clearfield varieties have performed in the United States, but trials also need to be done in Canada before the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will consider the varieties for registration.
Park said Clearfield sunflowers will be included in the Manitoba Sunflower Committee’s trials next year, which will provide the information needed to pursue at least interim registration in 2007.
