With growers having harvested a canola crop that was significantly better than last year’s, it’s time to look to the next growing season and consider what worked, what didn’t and how to get the most from your crop. Investing in good genetics and practising solid agronomics can help growers capitalize on high demand for canola both at home and abroad. Corteva Agriscience™ integrated canola solutions help growers maximize their profit potential.
“First and foremost, Corteva is focused on sustainability when it comes to our canola portfolio,” says Chad Koscielny, North American Canola Breeding Lead at Corteva Agriscience. “We have a long-term vision when it comes to the viability of the crop. We look for solutions to keep it a profitable crop for the next five, 10, 15 years and further.”
Koscielny says sustainability requires flexibility, and this is why Corteva offers all three herbicide-tolerant systems in its product offering — Clearfield®, Roundup Ready® and LibertyLink®. This allows growers to tailor their herbicide component to the hybrid needs that fit their location and their operation. He says that growers with different rotations will have different weed profiles, volunteers and resistance issues, so their herbicide requirements will vary accordingly.
“We currently have three Pioneer and two Brevant seeds hybrids with the Optimum GLY* trait and several hybrids that licensees will launch with, all with great-looking yield potential. We’re quite excited about this.”
Jeff Loessin, Corteva Agriscience
“Different growers have different needs and that also applies to disease pathogens,” says Jeff Loessin, Canadian Seeds Marketing Leader at Corteva Agriscience. “We have a large library of clubroot-resistant genetics against all known pathogens. We are helping farmers manage against this disease because without canola, Canadian growers would have one less profitable rotational option and without clubroot control, growing canola would become a real problem.”
However, clubroot is not always the key disease of concern. In some areas, sclerotinia is the pathogen with the largest chance to cut yield. While hybrids with a resistance trait won’t always eliminate the need to spray, they have embedded protection that offers a wider window of application for a foliar application to give that additional layer of both protection and flexibility.
When it comes to harvest, Pioneer® brand and Brevant® seeds have pod shatter traits that are aligned with Canola Council ratings, so growers can make the right decision depending on conditions in a given year. Whether they want to delay swathing or straight cut, there are hybrid options that allow them to make that choice.
“In different geographies the priorities are different,” says Koscielny. “But these are all background essentials. Our breeding team understands that while they’re important, high yield is what’s most important to the customer.”
A new name in seed treatment
While the Prairies didn’t suffer from the punishing drought of the previous year, the late start to the season meant the crop went in as much as a month later than usual, putting the seed at risk for disease and insect damage.
Corteva is transitioning to a new seed treatment package for its canola hybrids, which includes a new fungicide product, Lumiscend™. It provides top-level early disease resistance powered by Group 7 blackleg protection. When combined with the blackleg genetics in Brevant® seeds and Pioneer® brand hybrids, it gives growers more chance to capture early-season growth opportunities.
“After another challenging spring like 2022, growers have seen the need for early-season protection and the importance for strong vigour right from the start,” says Loessin. “Every seed treatment we bring forward has a really rigorous testing process that is designed for our genetics, verified on our genetics, and verified in the field across numerous locations.”
More glyphosate options
With weed profiles changing, climates shifting and farming practices having to adapt based on supply chains and labour availability, growers are continually looking for new high-yielding alternatives. Corteva has developed Optimum® GLY, a new herbicide-tolerant trait technology which is currently waiting for full international regulatory approval before being launched.
“We are ready to go as soon as we have approval,” says Loessin. “We currently have three Pioneer and two Brevant seeds hybrids with the Optimum GLY* trait and several hybrids that licensees will launch with, all with great-looking yield potential. We’re quite excited about this.”
Optimum GLY delivers options for enhanced weed control and a wider window of application for improved convenience and flexibility without affecting the agronomic traits or the yield potential of the hybrid.
“Optimum GLY can be applied at higher rates all the way to first flower with high levels of crop safety,” says Koscielny. “While early weed control is optimal, farming is not always a perfect system every year and sometimes the weather or the business of your farm means you can’t always get into a field when you need to. Optimum GLY allows growers to achieve the weed control they need and still minimize weed seed bank buildup.”
Connecting innovation to the customer
Loessin says that Corteva works with farmers to stay on top of emerging issues in the field. “We’re getting a good view of what’s starting to cause trouble from even the smallest pockets of the country,” he says. “Our fact-finding starts from the ground up and that helps us build better solutions.”
Corteva has fully integrated its commercial operation with its research and development so there is a strategic focus on meeting customer needs. While some processes have become faster with modern technology, it still takes time to bring a product to market — from proof of concept to testing and regulatory approval. Being on the leading edge of what growers are facing is a critical step.
“At the end of the day, high performance and genetic diversity on their farm is what’s important to most growers,” says Loessin. “They want to get the best performance from year to year so we would encourage them to look at their agronomic needs and talk to local experts to make sure they are making choices that work best for their operation.”
From the moment the seed is in the ground until it makes its way off the combine, growing canola is a season-long commitment. Throughout the growing season, Corteva offers integrated solutions that result in a healthy, high-yielding crop. For more information on Optimum GLY, visit Optimum GLY Canada. For more information on Corteva’s complete canola solutions, reach out to your Pioneer Sales Representative, your Brevant® seeds retailer or your Corteva Agriscience Territory Manager.
*Pending approval in relevant export countries
