Smart Seed Choices Protect Canola Trade
It has been a tough year for canola growers, but Keep It Clean is reminding farmers that growing registered canola varieties is essential to protecting export markets and maintaining the reputation of the Canadian canola industry.
Quality assurance begins with proper seed selection and continues through harvest and delivery. Export customers depend on consistent oil and meal quality, reliable biotechnology traits, and strong disease resistance in every shipment.
Registered varieties meet strict regulatory standards and are approved for commercial production. These varieties are tested to ensure they meet industry and market requirements. By planting registered seeds, farmers help guarantee that exported canola meets buyer expectations.
To reduce risk, producers are strongly advised not to seed any de-registered canola varieties. Grain produced from these varieties should not be delivered to an elevator or grain handler. Using unapproved seeds can create problems in the supply chain and may threaten access to important export markets.
De-registered varieties often lack updated agronomic improvements. Many do not contain critical disease resistance to genetics, including protection against clubroot. Clubroot is a serious soil borne disease that can significantly reduce yields and cause long term field damage. Planting varieties without proper resistance increases production risks and weakens overall crop performance.
The official no grow list includes certain Liberty Link, Roundup Ready Polish, bromoxynil tolerant, and Clearfield tolerant varieties that are no longer approved. Producers are encouraged to review updated lists regularly to ensure compliance.
Farmers can consult the Canadian Food Inspection Agency database of registered varieties and proposed registration cancellations for accurate and current information. Staying informed helps prevent unintentional planting of restricted seeds.
Protecting canola quality is a shared responsibility. When growers choose registered varieties and follow proper delivery practices, they strengthen the integrity of the entire supply chain. Working together, farmers and industry partners can reduce risk, protect crop health, and keep valuable export markets open for the future.