b'Todd, SeCan is offering a soybean varietyon subsequent generations for the life the through the pilot program. ND17009GT is aND17009GT soybean on the growers farm. glyphosate tolerant soybean developed in North Dakota. Why did SeCan look to thisWhy do you feel the VUA is needed?variety for inclusion in the VUA program? For me this goes back 12 years. Weve seen Todd Hyra This variety is enjoying growing marketan erosion of resources that many dont Western Business Manager share in North Dakota, thats what reallysee because its happened slowly over SeCan caught our eye. They are seeing a growthtime. Going back to 2012-2013, we lost two Todd is a former presidentin uptake every year among farmer cus- Prairie testing facilities that were important of the Canadian Seed Tradetomers. When compared to cutting-edgeto AAFC breeding programs. Losing critical Association. His love ofbrand-new genetics, its not at the peaktesting locations hampers breeding pro-agriculture started in childhood,of technologybut for the price pointgrams. The programs continue, but when being raised on a mixed grainit offers value and gives growers in fringeyou dont test in that environment you and beef farm in Grandview,areas and areas with production limita- lose your ability to make good selections. Man. He continued his journeytions an opportunity to get back intoThere have been breeders retiring and not in agriculture when he begangrowing soybeans. The heart of this vari- replaced. Five years ago, we had two wheat his career in 1990 in the seedetys growing area is along the Manitoba- breeders and two barley breeders working industry, first at Proven Seed,Saskatchewan border into North Dakota.in Manitoba. We have one of each now. Its and now, at SeCan. Forty-five minutes south of the border itsdifficult for breeders to work out of a facil-performing very well. We believe thereity and not have colleagues to work with POLLS will be interest in western Manitoba toto share ideas. We want to reverse that and give the variety a try. Farmers heading intoadd additional revenue from products and 2021 will want to talk to their seed growerensure those testing resources are replaced. Some insights gleaned during ourabout their experience with this variety.The other part is attracting global invest-recent Retail Roundtable webinar! Its the experience from a commercialment. We recognize good genetics come Do you feel you are sufficientlystandpoint that will be important: whatfrom anywhere in the world but have to be informed about the VUA?does it look like, how does it stand, plottested for their fit in Canada. height. Those are questions seed growers live for. How can the VUA attract that investment?27% We have a number of breeding programs What is SeCans approach to applying the VUAwaiting to make a greater investment and 72% to its varieties? are interested to see the opportunity to We would only add a VUA on newget paid for more of their acres. Only a products entering the market. The VUAquarter of most cereal crops are planted is only impacting producers who choosefrom certified seed. That means 75% are Yes No to use those varieties. The fee rate isfarmed saved, so its hard to get excited set at the time of the original purchase,about creating new varieties when you are so they understand their costs and canonly getting paid for a small percentage of Would you buy a variety with make their decision based on agronom- those acres. Those breeding programs will a VUA attached?ics and whether the additional fee of theinvest in other countries if we dont think VUA will work for them. In some cases,of a solution. the agronomics wont work for them, or 27% it may just be a philosophical decision to not use a VUA variety. Products with a 72% VUA attached must have merit and reward the grower for the additional costs. They can farm-save this variety under the VUA,Check out our full-length webinar on this very topic! Visit which for the ND17009GT variety is $11germination.ca/an-svua-pilot-program-update/ to watch Yes No Unsure per acre for the use of the farm-saved seedit now.SUPPORTED BY: ENDORSED BY:30GERMINATION.CASEPTEMBER 2020'