Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60internationally, the forage sector needs new and always- improving varieties. “But fewer new genetics are available to the seed sector,” he says. “Public breeding, which was always the mainstay of the sector, is virtually gone and the gap is not yet being filled by the private sector. For example, there are only three companies left in the world that are breed- ing alfalfa.” Consolidation — Everyone seems to agree that con- solidation will continue in the forage and turf seed sector. There isn’t, however, complete agreement on whether that is a challenge or an opportunity. Dyck says it is definitely a challenge for some. The large companies created by consolidation increase the stakes for medium-sized com- panies. “Companies need to grow or go,” he says. “And that can lead to overextension and increased risk.” Ewacha agrees. He says there are big changes coming in the sector in as few as 10 years. “Many of Canada’s older, established seed companies are not looking to make the kinds of investments needed to expand,” he says. “The businesses are run by owners who are getting older, often with nobody to take over the business. So they could be looking for someone to buy them, further increasing consolidation and reducing competition.” Consolidation will also have an impact on the growers of forage seed. Kurt Shmon, president of Imperial Seeds, says the future will see very few independent seed grow- ers. “Already more than 75 per cent of the forage seed in Canada is grown under contract with specific seed com- panies. I think that will continue and grow.” Ron Cornish, general manager of Alforex Seeds, views consolidation as inevitable and necessary. “Larger companies are better able to make the investments in plant breeding and research that are required to deliver new, improved vari- eties to growers. They are also better equipped to develop new markets domestically and internationally and to deal with growing regulatory challenges,” he says. “But while con- solidation will continue, I do think that small- and medium- sized seed businesses will also continue, offering forage and turf seed varieties that they will license from developers.” The Opportunities Cornish is optimistic about the forage seed sector. “I don’t think it has had its time. It has its cycles. We are in a down cycle right now with the trend to cash crops and the increased use of corn silage and other grain-based feeds for livestock,” he says. “But I think the pendulum has swung way too far away from forages, and health problems are starting to develop, particularly in dairy herds. The opportunity is there to present improved forage varieties to livestock producers for herd health, economic and environmental reasons.” Growing Population and Changing Demands — “There is a growing global market for forages,” says Cornish. “The market is the rumen: beef and dairy cattle, sheep, goats and even camels. As populations grow and develop, people want to consume more protein, including from meat, fresh milk, cheese and other dairy products. China is a perfect example. Hay exports to China have been breaking records month over month because the Chinese want to feed livestock to supply the demand for protein.” Environmental Sustainability — Cornish says the focus on environmental sustainability also presents opportunity for forages. “Urban populations around the world are going to control more and more of what we do with our agricultural land,” he says. “The drive towards increased environmental sustainability is going to require farmers to get back to the basics of crop rotation. Forage crops can play a strong role.” Pick agrees. “Forages can make a tremendous contri- bution to soil health and can have an important place in cash crops, fixing nitrogen and fighting weeds. That is a bright spot for the sector.” Domestic and international regulatory requirements require the ‘greening’ of the countryside; the control of nitrates to improve water quality; management of river basins and waterfronts; and habitat development for beneficial insects can also be opportunities for forage and turf species. Shmon says: “Canadian seed companies, mine included, are renewing their interest in cover crops. A couple of interesting ones are tillage radish that can be used to combat soil compaction and reduce weed pres- sure; and Phacelia that is in big demand in Europe as a cover crop and bee forage.” Technology — In addition to delivering a better prod- uct for livestock producers, technology will help forages and turfgrasses to find their places on the land in the future. “Growing world populations will require that agricultural production move out onto more marginal land that may be drier and saltier,” says Cornish. “Technology is going to play a strong role in the work to get improved forages and turf grasses to thrive in those more marginal areas.” Genetic engineering is producing forage, turf and bioen- ergy crops that contain substantial improvements for grow- ers, end users and the environment. A paper published in 2012 in the Annals of Botany by the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, highlights current benefits of genetic engineer- ing that include improved digestibility of tall fescue and alfalfa (such as Forage Genetics International’s HarvXtra vari- eties); enhanced drought tolerance in alfalfa, white clover and creeping bent grass; enhanced salt, cold and freezing tolerance in perennial ryegrass, creeping bentgrass and tall fescue; and many more. MARCH 2017 GERMINATION.CA 41