BROMONT, Que. — Farmers who are participating in Roundup Ready alfalfa trials in Canada have been positive about their experience, says an official with the rights to the perennial crop in Canada.
“Many of them have asked if it is going to be for sale because they would like to buy some,” said Michael Peterson, lead of global traits with Forage Genetics International.
“It’s very effective weed control, especially with problem weeds.”
Forage Genetics, which has the rights to Roundup Ready in Canada, planted trials on 11 Canadian farms this spring: six in Ontario and five in Quebec. Each field is about 30 acres, and farmers have harvested the alfalfa.
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“We know exactly what they’re doing, when they’re cutting it, what maturity they’re cutting it at,” Peterson said during the Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association conference. “They’re getting experiences and evaluating it.”
Most dairy producers in Quebec grow a mixture of grass and alfalfa in their hay fields, but Roundup Ready alfalfa can be grown only in a straight alfalfa stand.
“If a grower wants to have a true grass alfalfa mix, if that grower is dedicated, he is not a customer for Roundup Ready alfalfa,” Peterson said. “There is quite a bit of pure alfalfa stands in Ontario and Quebec. Those are the primary customers.”
He said the company plans to in-crease the number of trials next year and continue the existing trials in Ontario and Quebec.
It doesn’t plan to introduce trials in Western Canada, where seed growers are concerned about potential contamination with non-Roundup Ready alfalfa fields.
“We want to keep the traits away from the West right now,” he said.
Forage Genetics will be working as part of larger group next year to help develop a national coexistence plan for Western Canada.
“We need to find out how they can have fields next to each other and not impact their business.”
Eastern Canada has already developed such a plan, although there is almost no alfalfa seed production in that part of the country.
It takes about 60 days from pollination until an alfalfa seed is mature and up to 180 days before seed from the pollinated plant will grow and form a new seed.
Peterson said cross contamination should not be a problem in Eastern Canada because alfalfa is cut for hay and isn’t allowed to set seed.
“Until you have seed to seed, it is not gene flow, it is only pollen flow.”
Peterson said little wild alfalfa grows in Eastern Canada because of a lack of vacant land or headlands where alfalfa can grow.
“The problem with feral alfalfa is in seed production areas,” Peterson said. “It has to be managed in (Western Canada).”
He said if Roundup Ready alfalfa turns up in Western Canada, it will be because someone broke the law and brought it to Canada from the United States.
“We can’t control stuff like that,” he said.
Peterson said Roundup Ready alfalfa will not be sold commercially until the coexistence plans are complete and company and grower interest has been evaluated.
“We have made a decision we are not going to sell traits in Canada next year. There is a lot of emotion in Canada around these alfalfa traits.”
