Koto

The new variety Koto is availabe to Northeast farmers for 2002 through the Birkett Mills. There will be enough to contract about 1000 aces in New York and Pennsylvania, and 2500 acres in Ohio.

Koto, has some features that makes it beneficial for growers:

• Higher stress tolerance
• Higher yield
• Easier harvest

Why was Koto developed? All of the varieties developed for North America after 1970 were designed with the North Dakota and Manitoba climate in mind. Their high winds, low humidity and long summer days require special traits. However, the Northeast has still air, high humidity and a more compressed buckwheat growing season. A joint effort between Thomas Bjšrkman at Cornell University and Clayton Campbell of Agriculture Canada and Kade Research was established in 1994, with funding from The Birkett Mills of Penn Yan, to develop a variety that took better advantage of Northeastern growing conditions. Koto and Keukett are the two varieties to come out of that effort. Koto is just now ready for commercial use. By taking better advantage of Northeastern growing conditions, Koto establishes faster, compensates for stress better, makes more uniform seed than earlier varieties.

Why does Koto seed cost more? The Agricultrue Canasa maintained the research program that provided the source of this variety. To help them pay for their research, they patented the variety and collect a royaltyof $2 on every bag of seed sold.

Is Koto worth the extra money? A yield analysis from three years of commercial scale trials gave Koto a yield advantage of 13% over Manisoba (which in turn has a 10% advantage over Manor). In addition, Koto had less crop loss on those sites that were stressed. The overall return is higher under any condition you are likely to encounter.

3-year Yield history

Yields are cleaned weight in lb/ac at 14% moisture. All are replicated trials on commercial farms, using the farmers standard commercial practices. Each trial site had 6 plots of each variety, with each plot being 0.6 to 1.2 acres

*significantly higher yield

Koto can make a lot of seeds!

Modifed May 30, 2002 by TB