…one less pass on the field 	
	
translates into a lot less 
	
	
diesel being used..
CANOLA & BIOFUELS
Dale Burns, Principal Development Scientist -  
Canola, Bayer Crop Science
C
anola has changed significantly in the 40 years 
since I first entered the industry. In the late 
1980s, there were fewer than 9 million acres of 
canola in production, all of it open-pollinated. 
Yields were highly variable. Weed 
control was mechanical or a mix of 
different selective herbicides. Our 
only disease focus was blackleg.
Hybridization has since 
revolutionized the industry. 
From the outset, Bayer has 
been developing canola 
for higher yield potential 
and earlier maturity. 
We’ve also worked hard 
to ensure that farmers 
have the greatest flex­
ibility during the busy 
harvest season when 
they often find them­
selves juggling multiple 
crops, variable weather, 
temperature extremes 
and soil moisture deficits. 
Growers need to get through 
as many acres in a day as they 
can, so the faster and more effi­
ciently they can harvest their acres, the better. 
Our DEKALB product line offers growers more 
compact canola varieties with high pod-to-stem 
ratios. Less stem material going through their 
combines makes for a quicker and easier process. 
It also allows plants to naturally dry down rap­
idly. Often, those growing DEKALB hybrids don’t 
require a desiccant. Those drier plants are easier 
for growers to harvest, better for their straight-cut 
equipment and allows them to swiftly move their 
canola to the bin. And one less pass on the field 
translates into a lot less diesel being used.
Pod shatter resistance has 
also vastly improved compared 
to 20 years ago. Growers can 
now feel comfortable leaving 
their canola in the field a little 
longer, allowing them the flex­
ibility to better manage harvest 
across their entire operation with 
less worry that adverse weather 
will erode their canola yields 
through shatter. Even just a few 
extra days can make all the dif­
ference to a producer’s ability to 
preserve quality, minimize yield 
loss, and maximize market pric­
ing. Our modern canola varieties 
help give them that.
As we look to the future, 
we’ll continue to raise the bar on 
increasing yield potential and 
developing better screening 
techniques for disease and agro­
nomic traits. In March 2025, we 
patented our Shatter Inducing 
Machine (SIM) which heavily 
challenges our canola for pod 
shatter resistance and allows 
accurate, trustworthy ratings. 
We are committed to continu­
ally adopting new technologies 
— from precision breeding to 
predictive modelling — in an 
effort to accelerate our develop­
ment pipeline and reduce the 
wait time for growers to access 
canola hybrids with the traits 
they need to succeed.
20   SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA   NOVEMBER 2026

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