JumpStart Granular Formulation Now Available to Canola Growers

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA--(Marketwired - March 26, 2015) - Monsanto BioAg will offer JumpStart granular inoculant to farmers for use in canola this spring. JumpStart granular gives farmers the option of applying JumpStart through granular applicators for in-furrow inoculation of canola seed.

"The granular formulation provides farmers with greater flexibility in JumpStart application. If farmers missed out on getting their canola pre-treated with JumpStart or don't have the equipment for on-farm inoculation with the wettable powder formulation, JumpStart granular provides another treatment option," says Darrell Wolkowski, Monsanto BioAg Canadian Business Lead in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

JumpStart is a phosphate inoculant that contains a naturally occurring soil fungus Penicillium bilaii. It grows along the root making more phosphate available to the plant to help deliver healthier crops and higher yield potential. In 155 field trials on canola in Western Canada over 17 years, JumpStart delivered an average of six per cent higher yield than canola without JumpStart.

JumpStart granular is packaged in 16.5 kg bags. Application rate varies by row spacing. One bag will treat 10.1 acres on nine inch row spacing, 11 acres on 10 inch row spacing and 13.4 acres on 12 inch row spacing. JumpStart granular is applied in-furrow with the seed through a separate air cart delivery system. It can be used with pesticide treated seed.

"JumpStart doesn't eliminate the need for phosphate fertilizer, but improves phosphate availability," says Wolkowski. "That can mean increased early season root growth, which results in early vigour, greater stress tolerance and earlier, more even maturity."

About the BioAg Alliance

Novozymes and Monsanto Company formed The BioAg Alliance in February 2014 to develop innovations for agriculture to boost productivity and further support the management of natural resources on the farm. The Alliance brings together Novozymes' capabilities for discovering, developing, and producing microbes and Monsanto's discovery capabilities, field testing, and market reach. To learn more about the BioAg Alliance follow us on Twitter @MonsantoBioAgCa or visit: http://www.monsanto.com/products/pages/microbials.aspx

About Monsanto Canada

Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monsanto Canada Inc. is part of the larger global Monsanto Company. Monsanto is an agricultural company committed to bringing a broad range of solutions to help nourish our growing world. We produce a variety of seeds ranging from fruits and vegetables to key crops - such as corn, soybeans, canola and cotton - that help farmers produce abundant and nutritious food. We work to find sustainable agriculture solutions that help farmers conserve natural resources, use data to improve farming practices, use water and other important resources more efficiently, and protect their crops from pests and disease. Through programs and partnerships, we collaborate with farmers, researchers, nonprofit organizations, universities and others to help tackle some of the world's biggest challenges. To learn more about Monsanto, please visit: www.monsanto.ca or follow us on Twitter @MonsantoCda.