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MENTION THE SUBJECT of trait stewardship to most seedsmen or farmers and it’s likely to elicit a roll of the eyes or a ‘been there, done that’ look. It’s a conversation some in the industry seem reluctant to have, even though it’s critical to their respective futures.

Still, it’s important to have the such a discussion, says one industry expert. Rachel Faust, technology marketing manager for Dupont Pioneer, maintains everyone needs to talk more about trait stewardship to ensure that it remains top of mind.

“It ’s not the most sexy topic anyone talks about, but it’s definitely important to talk about it,” Faust says. “Maintaining the durability of these traits is important for everyone involved in the agriculture industry. They’re helping us maintain yield potential and really be more productive.

“Growers need to focus on what’s in it for them and the fact it’s really about maintaining the length of time traits are going to work and be effective on their farms, because these traits are helping them get higher yields and make more money,” she continues.

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RISK AND REWARD: GROWERS CAN’T AFFORD TO IGNORE THE IMPACT OF TRAIT STEWARDSHIP

Trait stewardship can help prolong the effectiveness of traits that offer insect protection for soybeans and other crops.

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In the seed sector, trait stewardship is generally defined as the careful management of technologies to ensure maximum product value, benefits and longevity. In some instances, growers must sign a stewardship agreement that sets out their responsibilities in the use of these technologies and outlines both the risks and rewards involved in using them.

Wh i le the concept of t r a i t management is hardly a new one, emerging threats such as pesticide-resistant, insects and newer, deadlier strains of disease have helped to illustrate the need for continued vigilance.

“I actually think [trait stewardship] is more important now than it was at the time of the introduction of the first glyphosate technologies into the Canadian market or the Bt trait,” says Ron Taylor, national commercial stewardship lead for Syngenta.

“Now, with even more traits and some of the traits stacked together, growers have a lot more solutions available for higher levels of yield and better quality of crop,” he adds. “Proper use and management of the traits is critical for the full benefit the grower will see from the actual trait, and also to maintain the integrity of the trait … so we don’t run into any kind of risk of resistance developing.”

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Rachel Faust, technology marketing manager for DuPont Pioneer

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Lyle DePauw, canola seed produc-tion manager for Crop Production Services Canada, says trait steward-ship has always been important. The difference now, he adds, is that grow-ers have a better understanding of why, citing Bt corn and wheat midge as examples.

“If we begin to misuse some of these [ traits ] we can star t to

have breakdowns in agronomic per formance. We’re star t ing to recognize that in a couple of different traits and in a couple of different crops,” DePauw says.

“These [technologies] are all there for the benefit of the trait and to make sure we don’t lose these tools that are very, very important to our farmer customers as they are trying to

manage their crops. We have become more and more aware as time has gone on about how important these traits can be for us.”

Adds Dupont Pioneer’s Faust: “It’s not until you start to see [traits] falter that it reminds growers of the importance of stewardship and the need to preserve those traits into the future.”

A Pioneer Agronomy Centre event where Pioneer brand AcreMax products were discussed with growers.

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“We truly believe there is value there and it comes down to all of us being aware of what that value is and what is the risk involved. If we’re not responsible stewards, what is it we’re at risk of losing? I think it’s important that everybody understands if we lost these traits tomorrow, what would the impact [be],” says DePauw.

Taylor says stressing the importance of best management practices should be part of any plan regarding trait stewardship. A best practices plan can include everything from rotating herbicide technology to crop rotations and the adoption of measures such as refuge-in-a-bag.

“In general it comes down to good management of overall crop production,” Taylor says. “You are looking at how do you reduce risk of resistance no matter what we’re talking about, whether it’s a trait or it’s a crop protection product.

“A lot of it comes down to good crop rotation, good rotation of the chemistry and even the trait. It’s all about reducing the risk of resistance so we can maintain those tools in the marketplace.”

An important part of trait protection in seed is the stewardship agreement. In addition to protecting the long-term viability of the technology being used, these agreements protect intellectual property to ensure the developer is rewarded for the innovation they bring to market.

DePauw says such agreements aren’t meant to be barr iers for producers, but to help promote understanding.

“When a stewardship agreement is signed it’s really an agreement between the seed seller and the user of the trait that they understand the

benefits of this trait and what it’s going to bring [them],” he says.

“It’s really to make sure everyone understands the risks and benefits. If we’re not diligent with them, we lose those traits and we go back in time. We take a step back and lose some of the benefits we gained.”

Taylor agrees. He says spelling out the user’s obligations in a signed agreement helps to ensure future investment and new technological developments that will ultimately benefit farmers.

“Growers are seeing good success from their use of the different trait tools in the marketplace and we as an industry want to continue to develop them. But we want to make sure the trait is used with the proper integrity,” Taylor says.

Pressure to produce more food will increase the importance of adopting the principals of trait management, DePauw says. The World Bank

Group predicts global demand for food to double by 2030 due largely to population growth, strong income growth and urbanization.

“The amount of food we need to produce is tremendous and our ability to produce food needs to continue to improve,” DePauw says.

“These traits are really in place for us to continue to improve our ability to produce food. It’s tremendous the amount of pressure being placed on agriculture. As we bring these traits forward, they are another solution we can [use] to feed this hungry planet. It’s bigger than just my farm or your farm.”

Despite these challenges facing the seed sector, DePauw and others say they are looking forward to the future.

“I f we begin to look at the dollars being invested today in trait management in production agriculture development, it’s hundreds of millions of dollars,” says DePauw. “I don’t think anybody’s resting on their laurels. Everybody recognizes it’s a hungry planet. We have a number of challenges our farmer customers have to overcome to continue to improve their yield potential. We’re all investing heavily to help overcome those challenges.

“It’s exciting to be involved in the seed industry right now, just the investment being done, the amount of new products and new ideas coming forward ultimately for the benefit of Canadian farmers and farmers in general.”

“It’s all about reducing the risk of resistance so we can maintain those tools in the marketplace.”

–Ron Taylor, national commercial

stewardship lead for Syngenta

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