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Benefiting Agriculture, Energy and the Environment
Winter canola is uniquely positioned to be included into current cropping systems, improving farm income potential while creating an opportunity to reduce fossil fuels and carbon emissions.
Supporting a Lower-Carbon Energy Future
As the world prioritizes reducing carbon emissions and transitions to lower carbon energy sources, the demand for renewable biofuels derived from agricultural crops is steadily increasing. Bunge, Chevron and Corteva AgriscienceTM are joining forces to unlock innovation across the value chain by introducing proprietary winter canola and building the infrastructure to create a new revenue opportunity for growers with a sustainable rotational cash crop.
Winter Canola – A Growing Opportunity
There are a number of benefits that make growing winter canola hybrids a wise choice, from its high yield potential to enhanced reliability across farming environments to better manage financial risks. It can be used as a feedstock to produce renewable diesel, biodiesel, sustainable aviation fuel and replacements for petroleum-based chemicals. Because of unique genetics and recommended agronomic practices, this crop has the potential to achieve lower carbon intensity levels while bringing opportunities to adopt sustainable practices.
What’s in it for Growers?
5 key potential advantages for growers
participating in the program:
- Increase total farm profitability
- Participate in growing renewables feedstock market
- Improve soil through plant diversity and water filtration
- Maximize productivity through multi-year crop rotation
- Access to federal crop insurance for qualified participants
How to join the program
1
Contact your local Bunge representative to sign-up a specific number of acres. Pioneer provides agronomic guidance and stewardship support through local area experts.
2
Contract acres of production at a fixed price based on the July 2025 Canola Futures, +/- local area basis. ‘Act of God’ clause included and additional pricing alternatives are available.
3
Deliver any and all crop production to a nearby river loading facility and get paid by Bunge Chevron Ag Renewables. Grain delivered subject to quality grading standards.
WINTER CANOLA FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Winter Canola is planted in the fall and overwinters to be harvested in the early summer. By comparison, Spring Canola is planted in early spring and harvested in the fall. The plants are similar in terms of their biological makeup, although Winter Canola has better tolerance to cold and freezing. Due to its longer growing season, Winter Canola yields are about 20% to 30% higher than those of Spring Canola. Winter Canola can be used in your current double-cropping system (as a rotational crop following corn or soybean) or on acres that are fallow in winter.
Winter Canola is planted in mid- to late September following the summer corn or soybean crop. Winter Canola will sprout in about 5 to 7 days under the right conditions and requires around 600 GDUs to reach between 5 and 8 leaves with a stem diameter of 1/4 to 1/2 inch. This ensures the best situation for winter hardiness before becoming dormant (overwintering) during the coldest part of the winter. In early spring, the Winter Canola restarts growth and is typically harvested in late May or early June, making it a great companion for double-crop soybeans.
No. Winter Canola can be used in rotation with Winter Wheat since it needs 2 to 3 years before planting in the same field for disease prevention.
No, you will not need new or different equipment to plant and harvest Winter Canola. You can use traditional wheat, corn, and soybean planting and harvest equipment with minimal retrofits. Incorporating Winter Canola into a rotation is easy because it fits right into current cropping systems. It follows traditional timing and equipment used for Winter Wheat crop rotations.
Based on university trials in the Mid-South, we anticipate yields of 45 to 55 bu/acre, with potential to be higher based on individual operations.
Pioneer is building on a century of breeding and agronomic expertise to deliver a Winter Canola hybrid that’s uniquely suited to the Mid-South, increasing your chances of a successful harvest. Plus, the partnership with Bunge and Chevron Ag Renewables can help provide market stability and contract assurances that all production from enrolled canola acres will be purchased. Simply put: Competitor programs don’t have access to Pioneer technology and agronomic support, and they don’t have the downstream market that’s been established through this partnership with Bunge and Chevron Ag Renewables.
No. Demand for corn and soybeans is forecasted to continue to be strong, and Winter Canola isn’t a replacement for those crops.
We appreciate your support and partnership in developing this long-term program focused on more sustainable solutions for consumers around the world and for helping drive change at scale.
Questions? Get In touch!
- Alex Hibler
- Bunge, Commercial Manager
- [email protected]
Office: 618-734-4860 | Cell: 270-214-1667
