This high-tech innovation lab is focused on finding solutions for common crop threats. Our latest success planted across the Western Canadian prairies this spring was a leading-edge, disease-resistant canola seed, which is known on the retail market as Proven Seed. It’s breakthroughs like this that highlight Agrium’s commitment to innovation.

Clubroot is a disease that causes a canola plant’s roots to swell into a club-shaped ball, starving it of moisture and nutrients and causing it to die. To combat this specific emerging disease, our Research & Development department came up with a multi-gene product that differentiated our seed from others on the market and delivered farmers better resistance.

Yield is important, but in the face of challenging growing environments like adverse weather conditions, disease pressures and insect issues, Agrium is focused on developing products that can consistently deliver high yields for our customers.

Disease is smart and what works one year may start to break down in the next. That’s why this facility, our test plots across North and South America, and Australia, and Agrium’s global development teams are busy non-stop.

Canola breeding has been going on since the first canola variety was released in 1977. It will never end and the key for Agrium is to continue to innovate and find effective ways to help our customers stay ahead of the game.