Genetics Driving Interest in Soybeans

Pitura Seeds hoping to increase soybean acres in Western Canada with NK soybeans distribution and local perspective in variety selection.

Early-season genetics and a better understanding of disease pressures affecting soybeans are driving renewed interest in soybeans across Western Canada says Chas Lambert, NK Sales Manager for Western Canada.

“Since we started distributing NK soybeans with Pitura Seeds last fall, the advances in soybean genetics have been the primary topic of conversation in a lot of the calls we’ve gotten,” he says.

Lambert says the timing has never been better for farmers to be looking at soybeans because the genetics and options for herbicide-tolerance, not to mention profit potential, make them an excellent addition to the rotation in almost any area.

“There’s lots of evolution in the (herbicide-tolerant) trait systems and it’s going to be a big benefit in managing resistance,” he says. “We’ve got three-trait stacked options right now with a five-trait stack under development. Those can make a real difference where we are seeing resistant weeds, like kochia for example, spreading.”

According to Lambert, the current bounty of soybean options can be traced back to peak acres under cultivation in 2017-18, which drove investment in research and breeding.

“Like anything, demand drives innovation and as we saw acres going up year over year, we also saw companies, like NK Seeds, investing in variety development to meet the needs of that demand,” he says.

What that means for farmers today is they have access to soybeans genetics that are tailored to growing conditions and soil types on the Prairies.

“When soybeans were first introduced up here, they were varieties from Eastern Canada or south of the border, whereas the varieties we are planting today are from here, for here,” says Lambert.

Global Genetics, Local Expertise

One of the primary reasons NK Seeds shifted to a more localized distribution model was to enable the company to respond more quickly to market needs, with local expertise helping guide variety selection.

“With the combined experience of Pitura Seeds and NK Seeds, and our confidence in the future of soybeans in Western Canada, our distribution partnership with NK Seeds was the natural next step for us,” says Tom Greaves, President of Pitura Seeds Service.

Farmers are already benefiting from that change, with Pitura Seeds introducing the latest NK soybean varieties for planting in 2026, specifically selected for the traits and performance adapted to the unique growing conditions of Western Canada.

“Our team has put in significant effort this past year to review trial data to select this variety to bring to market,” says Greaves. “We came away with a strong appreciation for the depth of genetics in the NK pipeline, and together we reinforced how our shared expertise helps match the right traits to the right environments — understanding not just where they work, but why.”

Ultra-Early Maturity

Maturity remains top of mind in areas where harvest timing or fall frost is a concern, and one of the deciding factors in adding S003-B8XF XtendFlex soybeans to the portfolio was its maturity rating of CHU 2325/RM 0.03.

“Demand for the triple-stacked herbicide tolerance of XtendFlex is growing and we want to make sure we keep pushing the maturity on the soybeans with this trait to make it available to as many growers as we can,” says Branden Burns, Western NK Agronomist.

He said that when they were reviewing candidates with NK to bring to Western Canada evaluating the consistency of performance across environmental variables and soils played a big part in the selection process.

“One of the other things we saw in this variety is that it handled cool, wet conditions well,” Burns says. “I think most farmers would agree that one of the challenges we increasingly face is environmental extremes from year to year, and selecting soybeans that deliver consistent performance is something we’re really going to be focusing on.”

Burns says launching this soybean variety is just the start of what the NK partnership will bring, where shared selection and distribution efforts will continue to create advantages for seed retailers and farmers throughout Western Canada.

“Working with NK, we are part of the process from start to finish and I think our farmer-first perspective is pretty unique to the soybean seed business,” he says.

That farmer-first perspective influenced everything the company has done since taking on the distribution role, from assembling the sales and agronomy team to working with the NK Seeds soybeans retailer network to ensure the soybean varieties they are offering are well suited to the growing conditions of their area.

“There’s good reason NK has an exceptional reputation in soybeans. The genetics they can draw from globally to solve an agronomic challenge locally is truly impressive and a big reason we are so excited to be the boots on the ground working on those challenges with farmers and our retail partners,” says Greaves.