GMO and refuge seed in a bag gets federal nod Monday, June 13, 2011 by SUSAN MANNMonsanto will begin selling its stacked trait corn seed with the required refuge in the same bag starting this fall for planting in 2012.Michael Nailor, Monsanto’s trait marketing lead, says the company received approval Thursday from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for its Genuity SmartStax RIB Complete corn seed. Farmers planting Bt corn are required to plant a non-Bt refuge area to prevent insects from developing resistance to the Bt proteins. Nailor says farmers using Genuity SmartStax RIB Complete won’t have to buy separate corn seed and plant a separate, structured refuge. The bag contains 95 per cent Genuity SmartStax seeds and five per cent non-traited seed. Farmers would just plant the corn and not have to worry about a refuge because it’s already included.The refuge will be randomly located in the field “which makes it great because now a farmer doesn’t have to stop and plant a separate refuge and do a lot of stopping and starting,” Nailor says, noting the product will be available in Ontario and Quebec.The Genuity SmartStax corn seed, developed in collaboration with Dow AgroSciences and introduced in time for the 2010 planting season, offers protection against a number of above ground pests including corn borer, fall armyworm and western bean cutworm. Below ground it has protection for corn rootworm.Nailor says farmers want to be compliant with government-mandated refuge rules and have been asking for this product for years. BF Decision reserved in egg whistleblower's contempt case Premier's Award winners announced
Inside the Collapse of Monette Farms and What It Signals for Big Agriculture Thursday, April 30, 2026 The restructuring of Monette Farms is raising hard questions about how large is too large in modern agriculture—and whether today’s risk tools are keeping up. (Read the article: Monette Farms Seeks Court Protection as Mega-Farm Restructures Amid Financial Pressures) For years, Monette... Read this article online
Soybean Cyst Nematode Is in almost every soybean producing state and province Wednesday, April 29, 2026 Understanding Detection, Prevention, and Management of Soybeans’ Most Costly Pest Soybean cyst nematode (SCN), , remains the most damaging pathogen affecting soybeans in North America, costing U.S. farmers more than one billion dollars in lost yield annually. Updated national surveys... Read this article online
Farmland Rents Lag Land Values Wednesday, April 29, 2026 Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has released a new economic analysis highlighting a growing gap between farmland values and rental rates across the country, a trend that will likelyreshapeexpansion decisions for Canadian producers. According to the analysis, Canada’s average farmland... Read this article online
Ontario Funds for New Grain Innovation Projects Wednesday, April 29, 2026 Grain Farmers of Ontario has announced the successful applicants for its 2026 Grains Innovation Fund. The fund supports projects that increase the use, value, and demand for grains grown across Ontario. These efforts help build stronger domestic markets while encouraging innovation in... Read this article online
Drone Seeding Offers Hope for Ontario Wheat Farmers Wednesday, April 29, 2026 Farmers in parts of Ontario often struggle to plant winter wheat at the right time. The ideal planting period usually comes before soybeans are harvested, which can delay wheat seeding and reduce yields. This timing conflict makes it difficult for farmers tomaintainproper crop rotation and... Read this article online