I live in sunny Lethbridge, Alberta where I’ve enjoyed working with seed producers and farmers for the past two decades. The bounty of sunlight comes with the cost of chinook winds, and in the spring of 2022, I remember watching the skies turn brown, and soil piling up in ditches. We’ve come a long way with soil conservation, but it’s heartbreaking to see farmers’ most precious resource blow away. We need new solutions that are economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable.
With soil conservation at the forefront of farmers’ minds, there are now 20 million acres of cover crops in North America, and this is projected to double in the next ten years. Canada makes up about 5% of this acreage, with fall rye as the main cover crop seed type used primarily in rotation with row crops like potatoes, corn, soy, and pulses which are especially vulnerable to erosion.
KWS is the 4th largest plant breeding company in the world, but still relatively new to Canada. Our hybrid rye varieties have been sold here since 2015 and yields are 30 to 40% above traditional rye. Previously, with hybrid rye, we had a single use agreement where the grain could only go for milling, distilling, ethanol or feed. However, we saw growing demand for a reliable cover crop seed source across Canada and the US so in June, we launched the KWS Cover+TM soil protection program, a first-of-its-kind initiative.
This program allows the grain produced from KWS hybrids to be contracted back to the cover crop market through our licensed partners. These partners then offer second-generation common rye seed from KWS hybrids to the cover crop market. This means Canadian potato farmers now have additional flexibility with KWS rye to:
- Grow KWS hybrid rye and sell the grain to a licensed partner who cleans it and then sells it as KWS Cover+ TM.
- Purchase KWS Cover+ TM common rye seed from licensed partners for use as a terminal cover crop.
We do require that in the spring, the KWS Cover+TM rye must be destroyed. We recommend spraying with a burn off chemical at least 14 days before planting to ensure both the top growth and roots are controlled, leaving ideal conditions for potato planting.
Fall rye makes an optimal cover crop because of its winter hardiness and early spring growth. It has three times the root mass of winter wheat, it breaks hardpan, bolsters soil organic matter and sequesters carbon.
Rye is also allelopathic, meaning it can naturally suppress the growth of other plants and weeds. This is beneficial where herbicide resistant weeds are a concern.
These characteristics mean farmers are both protecting the soil and improving it while using KWS Cover+TM between commercial crops.
For more information visit www.kws.com/ca/coverplus or call 825-288-8861 to learn about how KWS Cover+TM can help. We’re looking forward to helping Canadian potato producers protect their soil and get the most out of their land!
