Alberta, Manitoba lag behind The list of midge tolerant varieties available to growers is expanding in 2014 with AC Enchant
The number of acres sown to midge tolerant wheat varieties continues to increase in Canada’s largest wheat producing province.
Todd Hyra, western business manager for SeCan, said farmers’ use of midge tolerant varieties in Saskatchewan has increased every year since the first midge tolerant varieties became available in 2010.
“I’m still waiting to see 2013 numbers … but in 2012, 32 percent of total wheat acres in the province were midge tolerant varieties, so that’s fantastic uptake,” Hyra said.
“I’m expecting to continue to see that grow.”
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According to data acquired through Saskatchewan’s crop insurance program, midge tolerant AC Unity was the second most popular spring wheat variety grown in the province last year, surpassed only by AC Lillian, a solid stemmed Canada Western Red Spring variety.
Unity was planted on 522,000 acres in Saskatchewan last year, compared to 596,000 acres of Lillian.
Two other midge tolerant varieties — AC Shaw and CDC Utmost — accounted for another 180,000 acres in Saskatchewan, an impressive number considering the two varieties occupied fewer than 20,000 acres in 2011.
Hyra said acceptance of midge tolerant wheat varieties has been slower in Manitoba and Alberta, primarily because midge pressure is normally lower in those provinces.
However, the insect is showing up in new areas each year.
Alberta’s Peace River region saw more midge pressure than usual this year, suggesting that demand for midge tolerant wheat varieties is likely to increase among growers there.
Commercial wheat growers across the West had access to eight midge tolerant varieties in 2013, including AC Unity, AC Goodeve, AC Glencross, AC Fieldstar, AC Shaw, CDC Utmost, AC Conquer and AC Vesper.
Another new midge tolerant product, AC Enchant, will be available through FP Genetics for planting in 2014.
It is the second midge tolerant Canada Prairie Spring Red variety available to commercial growers in Western Canada.
Three other midge tolerant varieties, including the country’s first midge tolerant durum variety and another high-yielding CPSR variety, will likely hit the market in late 2015 in time for 2016 planting.
Midge pressure has been increasing in some durum growing areas.
Brendan Payne, business manager with the Saskatchewan Research Council’s GenServe Laboratories, said interest in midge tolerant wheat is likely to increase as more new varieties come on line.
“Midge resistant varietal development is only on the uptake,” said Payne. “It’s only going to continue to persist … and from what we know about what’s happening in the sector, the planting acreage is just going to continue increasing.”
