Canada may expand durum wheat acreage with new ergot-resistant variety

Leybourne and Robert Arnason for the Canadian agri-portal Grainews. According to Anne Kirk, cereal crop specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, stronger ergot resistance may spark increased farmer interest in durum within the province. Durum production is limited in Manitoba. Statistics Canada reports that last year farmers in the province seeded about 9,800 hectares of durum, harvesting around 35,588 tonnes — a small fraction of total wheat acres. By comparison, in 2024 Saskatchewan planted 2.07 million hectares of spring wheat and harvested 4.48 million tonnes, while Alberta farmers produced 1.29 million tonnes from 475,400 hectares. Wetter conditions in the eastern prairies, along with disease risk and related quality issues, are key reasons for the gap between durum and spring wheat. Of particular concern are toxin-producing diseases such as fusarium head blight and ergot, leading Manitoba producers to favor less susceptible spring wheat varieties. The new genetics presented at ...