Clubroot-Resistant Canola Varieties
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Canterra Seeds is releasing a new variety of canola that is resistant to clubroot. The strain will be touring the prairies in demonstration trials this summer.
Image: Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
The 1960 variety – a hybrid of Genuity Roundup Ready – is one of a few different clubroot-resistant varieties that prairie farmers will soon have access to. In a statement from the company, the Canterra 1960 strain is called a “high-yielding, mid-season hybrid.” The seed is expected to launch fully in 2011.
Last spring, Pioneer Hi-Bred launched the first clubroot-resistant canola seeds for prairie farmers with their 45H29 strain. Two more varieties will be available in 2010 if Monsanto’s strains successfully wrap up their Canadian Food Inspection Agency registration – the clubroot-resistant hybrids 73-77RR and 73-67 RR. Once the registration is complete, the hybrids will only be available to a few current Monsanto customers, to start.
According to Canterra, the new 1960 variety, as well as second canola variety, called 1918, came out of the company’s relationship with a few different breeding partners.
“Instead of limiting themselves to material from one canola breeder, Canterra Seeds has the advantage of choosing material from no less than three separate breeding programs,” said the company in its release. This access to separate breeding programs allows the seed developer to use greater amounts of raw material.
The 1960 and 1918 varieties round out the company’s now four varieties in its 1900 canola series. The other varieties are the 1950 and the 1956, which were launched last year. The company has stated that seed supply has delayed the full launch of the 1960 and 1918 varieties – pushing their launch back to 2011.
Clubroot is a disease that is transmitted through soil that affects canola. It is a growing concern for all canola producers, but particularly growers in Alberta where it has been tenaciously spreading since first identified in an Edmonton-area canola field.
Besides choosing clubroot-resistant seed varieties, growers are advised to use good agronomic practices in order to reduce the likelihood of the disease spreading. Practices such as thorough equipment cleaning, extending the rotation of the crop to four years or more, regular field scouting and direct-seeding can also reduce the chances of crops becoming infected with clubroot disease.
