Will Bill C-474 Kill Research?

Will the private sector bow out of crop research if Bill C-474 becomes law? Some industry and farm organizations warn NDP MP Alex Atamanenko’s private member’s bill to require a market impact assessment before new technology is approved will have that result. If private companies pull out, or even cut back on research, it would

The “Cradle Of Crop Biotech” Lies In Europe

Canadian growers of flax and canola are well aware that most Europeans are not keen on biotechnology in agriculture. But if you’re looking for exceptions, this city in Flanders in the northern region of Belgium would be a good place to start. The ancient town centre, currently undergoing massive restoration, is one of the most


Difference You Can See

Stratego fungicide keeps your cereal crops greener and healthier by protecting them from early disease pressure, ultimately producing higher yields. Its wide window of application from 3-4 leaf to flag leaf on wheat, barley and oats provides long lasting control. A great partner in your herbicide tank mix, Stratego delivers flexibility in the field no

Corporate Co-Operation

Hardly a week has passed this summer without an announcement of another collaborative effort between the major players in plant breeding. Monsanto’s collaboration with Dow AgroSciences to bring SmartStax, the agriculture industry’s first eight-gene stack, to the market is only the latest of a string of similar announcements in recent years. Monsanto has also just

Canola Investment Soars

The canola race is heating up. Monsanto Canada broke ground on a $10-million research facility at the University of Manitoba Monday becoming the third company to announce a major expansion in canola research and development on the Canadian Prairies in as many weeks. Ryan Baldwin, Monsanto’s lead researcher for seed and traits, said canola has


Viterra Joins Winter Wheat Campaign

A program aiming for 100,000 new acres of winter cereals seeded across Western Canada this fall now has Viterra on board as its “premier delivery partner.” Ducks Unlimited and Bayer CropScience in mid-January launched “Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action,” a program to increase winter cereals acres across North America, to which Bayer pledged $20 million

EU New Market For Canada Canola

Europe’s acceptance of genetically modified canola seed represents an important new market for Canadian farmers, but purchases from the world’s largest exporter of canola seed are unlikely any time soon. The European Commission ruled March 10 to allow import of a type of canola, which German seed developer Bayer CropScience created by modifying the canola