Bayer CropScience aims for 100 bu./ac. canola

I attended last week’s grand opening of Bayer CropScience’s new Canola Breeding Centre of Innovation just outside Saskatoon. We got to tour the new molecular breeding labs and greenhouses where Bayer scientists and researchers will develop canola varieties with higher and higher yields and to suit a wider array of markets.

Garth Hodges, general manager of canola seed for Bayer CropScience, says the long-term sustainability of canola depends on higher yields and adaptability to a greater geographic area, more end uses (nutrition, health, industrial and biofuel), and on-farm storage. “On-farm storage allows farmers to segregate different types of canola for their specific end uses,” Hodges says. “Farmers don’t appreciate how valuable that is.”

On a tour of the hybrid canola field test plots, Jeff Mansiere, Bayer CropScience assistant breeder, explained some of the ways Bayer can achieve higher-yielding canola hybrids. Step one is general genetic improvement to develop parent lines that provide greater heterosis — a.k.a. “hybrid vigour.” The new lab will help speed this process. Next is to convert winter canola, the higher-yielding European crop, and breed out the need for vernalization — making it a suitable parent in spring canola hybrids. And pod-shatter resistance will make it easier to straight combine canola. By letting the plant ripen off while standing, seeds fill out more and pods on secondary branches are more likely to mature. 

During the tour, we learned that Bayer is working on, or has plans to develop, sclerotinia- and clubroot-resistant InVigor hybrids, high-erucic acid rapeseed (HEAR), high-oil canola and lower saturated-fat canola. 

Daytime fireworks

The ribbon cutting was a little different. Seven dignitaries pushed a detonator that set off a series of day-time fireworks. As you know, fireworks are usually shot off at night not at noon, but this concept actually works. If someone invented fireworks with coloured smoke, it would be even better.

The ribbon pushers in the photo are, from the left, Rudiger Scheitza, head of Bayer CropScience AG's global portfolio management; Garth Hodges, general manager of canola seed for Bayer CropScience; Kamel Beliazi, president and CEO of Bayer CropScience Canada; Lynne Yelich, MP and minister of state for Western Economic Diversification; Ed Hobday, reeve for the R.M. of Corman Park; Friedrich Berschauer, chairman of the board of management for Bayer CropScience AG; and Bob Bjornerud, minister of agriculture for Saskatchewan.