GJ Chemical Toured The Plots In Altona; Arnaud

Last week GJ Chemical had plot tours in Altona and Arnaud, showing growers several trials and varieties. The Arnaud tour on took place on Friday had about 30 soybean and a dozen corn trials.

 

Brent Manning, manager of the Arnaud location, says the plots had a challenging year in terms of weather, but varieties have still done well.

 

"We kind of [thought] the plot was ruined because there was a drain running through it, but actually, when you look at the aerial photo, guys looking at it will see it coming through in the yield," he says. "There's quite a few — I would say a handful — of varieties that really show in that drain, that didn't die off. They still managed to produce some beans, and I still think yield they'll fairly decently."

 

He also says they had some seed treatment trials this year, planting some varieties into cooler soils.

 

Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?