b'DRY WEATHER MAKES FOR GUARDED SEED SUPPLY FORECASTExtreme heat, drought on the Prairies means seed companies may have to rely on carryover stocks and move seed longer distances to ensure customers get their supply.Marc ZienkiewiczTHE DROUGHT EXPERIENCEDacross the Prairies this summerwheat seed and we ended up not spraying fungicide just should prompt farmers to take action now as they lock inbecause we felt the disease pressure just wasnt there. their seed purchases for next year. I heard the same from quite a few seed growers across I think the outlook for planting seed going into 2022Manitoba and the Prairies.is probably guarded. We certainly dont want to cry wolf, but we would advise farmers to plan accordingly and notSeed, Grain not Created Equalfall into the trap of picking up the phone in March or AprilIn some ways, seed yield may have an advantage over and trying to find seed for next year. That way, if there isgrain yields as the 2022 season approaches. Brent a shortage, seed companies have time to figure out a solu- Derkatch, director of the Canterra Seeds pedigreed seed tion, says Monica Klaas, general manager of the Albertabusiness unit, says that canola seed is grown using irriga-Seed Processors and a Seeds Canada board member.tion, whereas canola grown as grain is not. Klaas says the summer heat and lack of rain has hitWhen it comes to other crops, like cereals and pulses, some regions harder than others, but regardless of howin a typical production year seed growers and companies the seed harvest goes, 2022 will likely not be business asmaybe wouldnt pay quite as much attention to their car-usual in terms of the seed supply. ryover stocks. That will definitely not be the case as we I dont think anyone would say we have a crisis onmove into 2022we will need to rely in some areas on our hands, as many seed growers do carry inventory. Thatcarryover to provide enough supply for farmer customers said, it would be wise to plan in advance, which manythis coming season, Derkatch says. growers already do. The sooner you can get your seed,I think people in my position are going to be having the better. With grain yields being lower in many areas Imore detailed conversations with seed growers this fall, dont think on-farm storage will be an issue. Last year wejust to prepare ourselves collectively to know whats out saw such good yields that storing seed wasnt an optionthere in terms of seed stocks.for many growers, but this year things have changed inDerkatch suspects that, geographically speaking, there that department. may be seed shortages in some regions, and seed compa-For Jake Ayre, seed grower and vice-president of thenies will have to work with retailers to ensure growers get Keystone Agricultural Producers based in Manitoba, 2021access to what they need. was a night-and-day year compared to 2020, whenTodd Hyra agrees. SeCans western business manager many regions experienced too much moisture. The lack ofhas already heard from some customers who have locked rain this summer affected seed growers in different waysup some early supply of seed that was carried over from depending on where they are located, he says.last year. The extreme heat and lack of rain also brought withSeed growers generally grow more than they can sell it an invasion of grasshoppers, but he adds that thein one year, so theres always this surge capacity thats dry weather meant low disease pressure for many seedout there to fill some of that void. Sure, in some areas the growers. seed may be hit hard, but we have over 450 seed grower I guess you have to take the good with the bad,members in Western Canada. Thats a diverse network he says. We did risk assessments on a few fields ofacross a broad geography, and seed will move from 4GERMINATION.CASEPTEMBER 2021'