The 2022 edition of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show marked a return to normal for many in the agri-food industry, in part because it was the first such showcase in three years.
But it was also an opportunity for many seed companies to give customers a glimpse of their latest offerings.
At the Pioneer building, farmers saw the latest in soybean technologies, including the company’s A-Series Enlist E3 soybeans. According to supplied literature, growers can choose from 12 varieties developed for a range of maturities suited to Eastern Canada’s growing and agronomic conditions. Corteva Agriscience Canada plans to release more varieties in 2023.
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Why it matters: Ontario growers may be able to reduce herbicide and pesticide use with the new A-Series soybean varieties.
“If we break things down, the A-Series features Pioneer’s leading soybean varieties,” said Chad Garrod, eastern seeds portfolio manager with Corteva.
“They’ve been proven in the industry, well-adapted for maturities across Eastern Canada and it’s a soybean that growers have come to know and trust and rely on with solid agronomics and outstanding yield potential.”
In the past two to three years, growers have been challenged by an increasing mix of disease and weed resistance issues affecting production. Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and sudden death syndrome (SDS) are now closely linked, while resistant biotypes of Canada fleabane and common water hemp are increasing and are spreading eastward.
On a smaller scale, many growers in eastern Ontario and western Quebec are now treating white mould (sclerotinia) as a perennial disease threat and applying fungicides in-season.
According to Corteva, the A-Series varieties will improve yield performance, noted as equivalent to a $32 per acre income boost based on testing and trials conducted in 2021. A suite of improved agronomic traits is also expected to help with resistance to SCN, SDS, white mould and phytophthora.
The performance of the Enlist technology has been a pleasant surprise, according to Garrod, who cites a 45 per cent market share in the U.S. in the past three years as an indication of demand for Enlist varieties.
The combination of disease resistance technology within the soybean and the ability to use three different herbicides – glyphosate, glufosinate and 2,4-D – creates better protection, greater flexibility and a better management tool against resistant weed biotypes.
“When we compare the new A-Series with our previous generation, like the T-Series Enlist, you’re going to see improved agronomic characteristics across the board,” he said.
“The agronomics are up to the standards that growers need, plus there’s the advantage of the Enlist trait, the E3 soybeans.”
The Enlist trait has translated into a relatively quick adoption of the technology. The primary mode of action, 2,4-D, is not as susceptible to volatility and off-target movement, which has affected other combined mode-of-action products.
As Garrod noted, its reformulation has made it a more attractive option for growers, both in terms of soybean genetics and options for herbicide management. He added that Enlist is registered for two applications in-crop.
Watch for more from Ralph Pearce on this content in Country Guide.
