Canadian farmers are a step closer to being able to grow Clearfield sunflowers, which could give them the advantage of herbicide-tolerant varieties.
BASF Canada Inc. recently received the final regulatory approvals from Ottawa to pursue the development of Clearfield sunflowers in both oilseed and confectionary markets.
However, it could still be several years before those varieties are commercially available to Canadian growers, said Scott Chapman, Clearfield business manager for BASF.
Testing of the varieties still needs to be done in Canada and the company also needs regulatory approval for the herbicide that is used with Clearfield sunflowers.
The Clearfield sunflowers are non-genetically modified. They have been grown commercially in the United States since 2003 and represented about 10 percent of the oilseed sunflower acres grown there this year.
BASF already markets Clearfield systems for canola and wheat in Canada. The systems feature non-genetically modified, herbicide tolerant seed and broad-spectrum herbicides.
