Flax Council of Canada had backed out of project after initial collaboration, but is now interested in it again
Flax growers could be planting herbicide tolerant varieties by the end of this decade, according to a company developing the product.
“We have plants growing that are surviving glyphosate in our greenhouse currently,” said Dave Voss, vice-president of commercial development with Cibus.
The company’s non-genetically modified herbicide tolerant flax project was originally funded in part by the Flax Council of Canada.
The council announced in 2010 it would pay Cibus $5.5 million to develop the trait with up to $4 million of that coming from the federal government.
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federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
The goal was to commercialize the trait this year.
Growers have long wanted a non-GM herbicide tolerant flax, which the council believes could boost yields by 15 to 20 percent.
However, council president Don Kerr announced in December 2014 that the organization was pulling funding after spending $2.86 million on the project because it failed to meet “certain technical thresholds.”
“We were at a point where it was either fish or cut bait. We had to do it,” Kerr told the Agri-Trend 2014 Farm Forum Event.
Voss has a different take on what happened. He said the federal government cut back on the grants it was providing to the council.
Cibus was undeterred and carried forward with its project to develop herbicide tolerant flax using its patented targeted mutagenesis technology.
“The project is looking great and we’re very pleased with it,” he said.
Limited field testing is planned for next year.
Cibus intends to submit the trait for Canadian regulatory approval and enter the variety registration system once enough seed is available.
Herbicide tolerant flax is on schedule to be launched in the United States in 2019 and Canada one year later.
“We’ve been in conversations with several companies and they want to market it, but we have not signed an agreement yet,” said Voss.
Cibus is also negotiating with herbicide manufacturers about becoming a partner in the project.
Kerr said the council has been in contact with Cibus and has tentatively arranged to visit the company’s offices in San Diego.
He said the council will use the visit to discuss a “further action plan” with Cibus.
Cibus has commercialized its sulfonylurea canola in the U.S. and hopes to launch the product in Canada in 2017.
The company is also developing herbicide tolerant rice and contemplating using its technology in other cereal crops.
“We have aspirations to work in wheat and barley,” said Voss.
sean.pratt@producer.com
