Cibus introduced herbicide-resistant canola and continues research with flax and potatoes
By Kate Ayers
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Plant breeder, Cibus, continues to grow its presence in western Canada, thanks to the appointment of a new vice-president.
Dave Sippell now serves as vice-president and general manager of Cibus operations in Canada from the company’s new Winnipeg office, according to a company release in December.
“David’s expertise in the agribusiness sector and his deep knowledge and passion for the canola industry will contribute to the expansion of Cibus’ operations in Canada,” Bradley Castanho, senior vice president of commercial and business development, said in the release.
Cibus released its first commercial crop, SU CanolaTM , which was registered for sale in Canada last year. This product is a non-GMO Canola hybrid that offers an alternative for weed control. It is resistant to a new product called Draft, a sulfonylurea herbicide from Rotam.
“SU Canola is a new herbicide-tolerant product. There are three herbicide tolerant products in the market today … and by adding a fourth, it helps with rotation, resistant weed management and it adds another option to the non-GMO contracts that are in the western Canadian market right now,” Sippell said to Farms.com yesterday.
“We feel as though there is a lot of interest from growers and a lot of advantages. … It shows a very nice return on investment,” Sippell said.
“The combination of the premiums that are paid for the non-GM contracts, plus the aggressive pricing of seed and chemistry – when you put that all together, along with the competitive yield, (SU Canola) really does provide a very nice return on investment at the grower level.”
Cibus is also developing a line of crops which contain beneficial characteristics, such as healthier oil profiles, disease resistance and drought tolerance, according to the release. Its research includes work with flax, rice and potatoes.