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This has been a very unusual year for canola production, says Tim Darragh, Canola Technical Strategy Lead for Bayer Crop Science. “It was super wet in some areas, extremely hot in Manitoba and many canola production areas got off to a late start this past spring. There were many challenges getting the crop established – lots of gaps in the fields.”
Darragh travels Western Canada extensively, and this year he observed that many canola growers had challenges with weeds. “We saw tons of perennials and buckwheat poking through,” he adds. “That’s going to present some problems at harvest.”
Despite those challenging conditions, Darragh says it was easy to spot TruFlex® fields. Later Roundup WeatherMAX® applications delivered season-long control of dandelions. Foxtail barley control improved significantly. TruFlex also helped with wild buckwheat control. Wild buckwheat can be controlled past the six-leaf stage with Roundup WeatherMAX at a rate of approximately 1 l/ac. Large buckwheat past six-leaf can be controlled at a rate of 1.33 l/ac.
Flexible rate, flexible timing with Roundup in TruFlex.
The flexibility of Roundup is at the heart of the TruFlex canola production system. Tim Darragh explains: “TruFlex gives you the flexibility to go in with up to 1.33 l/ac. in a single application or you can split it into two applications.” The TruFlex system also provides the widest application window, up to the first flower stage, when 50% of the plants have no more than one flower. “That’s probably the widest application window of any herbicide out there,” he adds. That wider window was especially helpful in fields where moisture levels were higher than normal, which gave weeds a chance to flourish later in the season.
The benefit of application ease at a busy time of year
According to Tim Darragh, there’s a reason why Roundup is the most widely used herbicide in Western Canada. “The ease of application lets you spray when you wouldn’t be able to with other herbicides,” he says. “It’s a busy time of year. There’s a lot going on in that spray window.”
“With TruFlex, it’s nice to be able to spray Roundup when conditions might be a little more questionable for cereal herbicides or products you might be using on other crops. Having that flexibility and being able to push your window in terms of staging really helps growers get the weed control they need.”
Darragh acknowledges that many canola growers have gotten away from in-crop herbicide application. “But with Roundup, there’s a lot of weeds we can get on top of with an in-crop application.” TruFlex also enables you to control more weeds. Roundup Ready controls 27 weed species, but with TruFlex, the number of weeds controlled rises to 51.
No need to sacrifice yield with TruFlex canola
Growers may think there’s a yield penalty for the convenience and flexibility of TruFlex canola. Tim Darragh disagrees. “The TruFlex hybrids that are on the market now have come a long way,” he reports. “TruFlex yields are fantastic – right at the top of the yield leaderboard.”
For example, DEKALB® DK901TF scored a 14.9% yield advantage over Pioneer P515G, based on seven large-scale trials in 2024. That’s a significant boost you can expect from the genetics bred into every bag of TruFlex canola seed.
TruFlex hybrids also feature Clubroot Resistance Plus, the broadest protection against the most frequently found pathotypes in Western Canada. Like all DEKALB canola, TruFlex hybrids include enhanced pod shatter protection. You can expect TruFlex hybrids to stand well throughout the season, so it’s well-suited to straight-cut harvest.
There’s plenty to love about TruFlex
The 2026 growing season has provided proof positive of the value of TruFlex canola. According to Tim Darragh: “When you think about all the benefits that come with the TruFlex trait, it’s hard not to consider it as an option for your canola acres. Yields are excellent. Plus, you can get more out of your fields, realize some efficiencies and maybe save some costs, in terms of weed control.”
Tim Darragh is convinced, and 2026 TruFlex growers will likely agree that TruFlex canola is a great choice, no matter what growing conditions they may face in 2027.
Always read and follow insect resistance management requirements (where applicable), grain marketing and all other stewardship practices and pesticide label directions. DEKALB®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup WeatherMAX® and TruFlex® are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Bayer CropScience Inc. is a member of CropLife Canada. ©2026 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.