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Prairies into eight to 10 million acres of
corn and a new “sister crop”—soybeans.
The industry giants already support
canola and soybean production. Most of
the crop shi , in their view, will come out
of wheat or barley production as nearby
yields of corn and soybeans become
consistently profitable.
“About a year ago, we started asking
ourselves a new question: If you invest
in corn in this region, how big could
the acres be?” said
Monsanto’s Canadian
trait launch lead Dan
Wright. “By April 1,
2013, we committed
to a $100-million
investment in corn in
Western Canada over
10 years.”
Corn genetics
and the growers are both targeted in
Monsanto’s Canada Corn Expansion
Project.
“For us, there are two big things—one
investment in breeding, and another in
working with dealers and growers,” said
Wright. “We want to provide them with
technical knowledge so there’s less risk
when they want to introduce corn to
their rotations.”
On the research end, Monsanto has
a corn testing station in Manitoba and
provinces reported grain corn seeded
acres in 2013: Manitoba at 380,000 and
Alberta at 25,000.
However, while fodder corn planting
was mostly level from 2008 through
2013 with levels ranging between
45,000 and 90,000, the planted acres
of grain corn in Manitoba doubled in
that time from 190,000 to 380,000,
and experimentation with new lines was
definitely underway in Saskatchewan
and Alberta.
Always, grain corn has been heat-
challenged in Western Canada. That
began to change about 15 years ago
thanks to earlier-maturing varieties with
consistent yields.
Today, the grain corn blip is widely
manifest and growing in southern
Manitoba. Grain corn became a
200,000-acre crop in Manitoba several
years ago. Moens, and others, believe
it has potential for much more than a
half-million acres if the market value is
attractive.
Similarly, in perhaps the past five years,
the earliest hybrids have been appearing
in the balmier areas of Saskatchewan and
Alberta.
“My counterpart at Taber is definitely
growing big time in grain corn acres,
but it’s less of a risk at Taber and north or
east of there,” explained Moens. “You’re
looking at a difference of 200 to 250 heat
units between silage and grain.”
Moens said, given time, things could
shi toward a significant number of corn
acres in the Alberta crop spectrum.
“If we can get a crop that matures
earlier and yields more consistently, that
will help with the expansion to grain corn
in our area,” he said. “They are coming
out with lower-heat-unit corn. As the corn
gets to be earlier, you’ll see grain corn
acres replacing cereal acres in southeast
Alberta, and even in my area.”
COMPANY SUPPORT
Monsanto and DuPont Pioneer, two of the
world’s most influential seed companies,
are investing in the potential of corn.
Looking 10 to 15 years ahead, the seed
companies see a potential shi on the
recently added a corn testing station
near Regina. It plans to start a third site
“around or south of Calgary” in 2015,
said Wright.
The corn trend is already growing in
North Dakota.
“Corn and soybeans displaced wheat
and barley and other cereals in North
Dakota,” Wright said. “Ultimately, it’s
up to the growers. We’ll provide a new
choice. They will choose what they think
is most profitable. We
think our investment
in corn and soybeans
will provide these
growers with a very
competitive new
crop.”
Pioneer Hi-Bred,
a DuPont business
and supplier of
Moens’ seed, has been at work with
research to support early-maturing corn
and soybeans for many years. Now, it is
ramping up corn investment, especially
in Alberta. The company opened a
6,600-square-foot office in Saskatoon
in May 2013. In October, it finished a
$2-million greenhouse expansion in
Carman, Manitoba, where it now has a
corn breeder.
Greg Stokke, DuPont Pioneer business
director for Western Canada, said a third
Spring
2014
grainswest.com
21
“My counterpart at
Taber is definitely
growing big time in
grain corn acres.”
–Adrian Moens
UP AND COMING:
With improved genetics, Monsanto and DuPont
Pioneer are hopeful that corn will become a Prairie mainstay.