Nexera® Canola Performance in North Dakota and Northwest Minnesota.

Dow AgroSciences and Mycogen Seeds have focused on the development of canola cultivars which produce heart healthy oils having increased stability for foodservice and consumer packaged goods applications.  Such oils reduce the need for hydrogenation and provide nutritional advantages relative to soy, palm and many other oils used by the food industry.  Open-pollinated spring varieties and hybrids with Clearfield or Roundup Ready herbicide tolerant traits have been developed and tested in the Prairie Provinces of Canada and in northern ND and northwest MN.  The objectives of this presentation are to document the agronomic performance and characterize certain quality aspects of Omega-9 canola oil.  In addition to the functional and dietary advantages of the oil, contract production of specialty canola affords farmers additional cropping options.