Maximising Soybean Industry development in western Canada

While Canada is rated highly in terms of research output, it often scores very low in terms of innovation output, with commercialization of knowledge recognized as the impediment to innovation. Although varietal improvements and disease resistance of soybean are important for adoption, effective policies and institutions are required to maximize the innovation potential.

The commercial use of genomics-derived advances in soybean genetics will ultimately determine the area of soybeans grown in Canada. Given the large area of cropland and the recent growth trends, most of the growth potential is in Western Canada. To make an adoption decision growers have to assess the information available and be confident that soybeans can profitably be incorporated to their crop rotations. Inside the farm gate, growers will need to acquire the knowledge to assess this opportunity and optimize the management of soybeans on their land within their cropping activities. Applied agronomic research and extension systems often play a critical role in the supply of this knowledge. Outside the farm gate, the access to transportation and handling systems will directly impact soybean prices, a critical driver of profitability. As evident in many other crops, long-term development will depend on the existence of crop research funding system that can sustainably fund soybean future research and development.