SeCan is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The not-for-profit company is Canada’s biggest distributor of certified seed.

SeCan celebrates 40th anniversary

Canada’s largest certified seed distributor is even more relevant today, says general manager Jeff Reid

SeCan was ahead of the curve when founded in 1976 — and still is today, says general manager Jeff Reid. “I think it is interesting that 40 years after SeCan was initiated, it seems in many respects to almost be just coming-of-age now, with all the talk about public, private and producer partnerships,” Reid said

Canada to regulate CRISPR technology

Canada to regulate CRISPR technology

The new gene editing tool may not produce GMO products, but they will be considered 'novel'

UPDATED, June 24, 2016: Plants modified using the controversial gene editing technology known as CRISPR/Cas-9 won’t be sailing past regulatory scrutiny to the marketplace in Canada as they currently do in the U.S. While the U.S. regulatory system has determined plants developed using CRISPR are not GMOs and therefore do not fall under the regulatory


Trish Jordan

Canadian grain companies wary of unapproved GM crops

Top U.S. grain companies have taken a hard line and are refusing genetically modified crops that haven’t been approved in major markets, while Canada’s grain industry remains more flexible. So far the Canadian companies are approaching the issue on a case-by-case basis, but that could change, according to Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western

Jesus Madrazo, Monsanto’s vice-president of global corporate engagement, says “digital” agriculture could catch on with farmers just as quickly as GM crops did.

Digital agriculture the next big thing, says Monsanto official

Farmers adopted GM crops faster than the company expected 
and the same could occur with precision farming

If you want some idea of how quickly digital agriculture could grow, take a look at what happened with GM crops. Monsanto never expected genetically modified crops to catch on as quickly as they did and one company insider says the same explosive growth could happen with data-driven farming. Instead of a measured and evolutionary

Bringing out the ‘wild side’ of fruits and veggies

Bringing out the ‘wild side’ of fruits and veggies

It might be a cheaper alternative than developing new methods

The natural ability of plants to fend off pests is falling through the cracks in our modern quest for fruits and vegetables varieties that have larger sizes, better colour and a longer shelf life, researchers with Newcastle University in the U.K. say. A study published recently in the academic journal Agronomy for Sustainable Development said


Mosquito on human hand

The promise and the pitfalls of CRISPR

This technology doesn’t set new boundaries for genetic manipulation, it removes them

About the only one ever happy to see a mosquito is a hungry purple martin, the acrobatic swallow that dines on the bothersome insects morning, noon, and night. You and me, however, would be perfectly happy never to see another mosquito for the rest of our lives. Science can now make that happen. A powerful

Sixteen-year-old Laura Didyk of 
St. Francois Xavier was a Manitoba delegate to the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute in October.

World Food Prize experience an eye-opener for Manitoba teen

The conference gives youth an opportunity to dream big about their future in agriculture

Public speaking before an unfamiliar audience can be scary enough, never mind having a bunch of distinguished international scientists in the audience. But 16-year-old Laura Didyk was undaunted making a speech while attending the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute in Des Moines, Iowa this past October. “It was a little nerve-racking,” says the Grade

Farm groups reject anti-GM crop report claims

The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network questions whether yield gains are due to GM technology

A report that claims genetically modified crops are no more productive than conventional ones doesn’t match the reality of what Canadian farmers find in their fields every year, farm groups say. The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, which opposes GM crops, says in a report that yields of GM and conventional crop varieties “have increased at


Robert Wager, faculty member in the department of biology at the University of Vancouver Island, recently hosted a webinar looking at how to discuss genetically engineered technology with the public.

Farmers asked to speak up on GE technology

When conversing about modern-day agriculture technology, be as honest and accurate as possible

Canadian biologist Robert Wager says there is a desperate need for Canadian farmers to add their voices to the conversation about genetic engineering in food production. “I like to quote Carl Sagan, as he said it quite well, ‘we have arranged a global situation where almost everything critically depends on science and technology. We have

Agricultural technology investment soars

Agricultural technology investment soars

Market turbulence or not, North American investors are plowing into farm technology

North American investors are pouring money into agriculture technology despite turbulent financial and commodity markets, as cutting-edge advances that enhance farm production bring opportunities for profits. Investment in this technology, which spans plant and soil technology to drones, amounted to $2.06 billion in the first half of 2015, on pace to smash last year’s record