First, we have found that geography is not immunity, you are not immune because you are outside of an impacted area. Those areas were unaffected once as well.

Secondly, we see that the sanitizing and cleanliness of equipment is incredibly important in prevention of the spread of the disease. Any measures taken are better than none at all.

Thirdly varietal selection is very important especially in at risk areas. Catching clubroot early is also important in dealing with the disease and to keep it from spreading.

Finally, working with your local municipality is critical in monitoring the spread of clubroot and working on prevention and containment. I spoke with Clint Jurke at the Farm Forum Event in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  clint and discussed the prevention strategies and what we now know after looking back at the past years.  The strategies have not changed but how we appraoch them has over time.

SEE MORE CANOLA SCHOOL episodes.

If you cannot see the embedded video below click here.

Are you having trouble looking down the line at the canola markets? You’re not alone. There are a number of sources sending mixed signals to producers. On one hand when we look at the charts, we see that the January-March futures indicate a strong sell (according to Barchart). On the other hand we see fundamentals telling a different story with things like Oil World forecasting potentially large export increases for Canada and Australia in light of the poor crop in the EU. So what can producers do to make sense of the markets and make the best decisions possible?

This week on the Canola School we attempt to clear the waters with help from Farmlink Marketing Solutions analyst Jonathan Driedger.  We explore the conflicting technical information (charts) and  the market fundamentals (supply and demand).  Don’t these two things talk to each other.

SEE MORE CANOLA SCHOOL episodes.

If you cannot see the embedded video below click here.

Trevor Besplug is Territory Manager with Westeel. I asked him some questions about the ins and outs of proper storage of canola after harvest and some of the issues producers may face.

SEE MORE CANOLA SCHOOL episodes.

If you cannot see the embedded video below click here.

Murray Hartman is the Oilseed Specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Affairs based in Lacombe Alberta. I asked Murray about the spread of clubroot in Alberta and what producers can do to identify and deal with the disease if they have it.

SEE MORE CANOLA SCHOOL episodes.

If you cannot see the embedded video below click here.

When we talk about harvest across the prairies, you can’t use a blanket term to cover any one province unless that comment is “variable”. In terms of exactly how much of harvest is done, some areas in the Alberta and Manitoba are finished while areas in the Northern Alberta haven’t even started yet. Yields for those farms that are already underway with harvest have reported anywhere in the range of lows from 10 to 20 and highs from 70 to 80 bushels an acre. A good deal of those lows can be attributed to an overly wet spring and a dry summer.

Leighton Blashko is Market Development Specialist for Bayer CropScience in Sherwood Park, AB. I spoke to Leighton about what he’s seen and heard so far when it comes to canola harvest across Western Canada.

SEE MORE CANOLA SCHOOL episodes.

If you cannot see the embedded video below click here.

Much has been said about the potential benefits of straight cutting canola. In particular with regards to yield and overall quality, straight cutting has been shown to provide some benefit. There are however some qualifiers attached to those benefits that have to work to avoid a wreck. It would be a disaster to lose your canola crop to shelling at harvest because you wanted to save a little fuel for your swather.

In this episode of the Canola School we talk to Troy Prosofsky of the Canola Council of Canada about straight cutting canola. I asked Troy a number of questions including: What makes a crop a good candidate for straight cutting? Are there products out there that can help aid shatter resistance? What are the benefits of straight cutting and are some areas more suited to it than others?

SEE MORE CANOLA SCHOOL episodes.

If you cannot see the embedded video below click here.

One of the challenges in a year like this year is that there has been dramatic changes in weather conditions resulting in some uneven maturity, rapid progressing maturity and the potential of high yileds in some areas.  What makes farmers very stressed is the fact is you swath too early or too late you risk leaving serious amounts of your potential yield in the field.  Canola can be a lot of work and losing yield is a serious disapointment.  Even more so when prices are good like right now.  What is suprising is that a high percentage of canola growers swath too early.  This is not good.

In this episode of the Canola School, Troy Prosofky, Canola of Canada discusses swathing timing.  Troy guides us through the decision making process in a field just outside Picture Butte, AB.  Troy shows us what 60% color change looks like and how to not be fooled by sun scald.  Troy finishes by describing why swathing at night is your best practice instead of during the heat of the day.

If you cannot see the below embedded video, click here

Demand for canola from crushers has remained strong throughout the summer months, stocks are tight and exports are good. That being said, harvest is just around the corner and a number of questions will be answered regarding actual acres and yield potential.  Everyone is aware of the disastourous year that Western Manitoba and Easter Saskatchewan have had in some areas.   There is also the ongoing outside market mess that has yet to be played out. When markets are as jumpy as they have been in the past few months you have to wonder what kind of effect that worldwide market volatility will have on canola? So what kind of movement can we expect to see in canola markets? I spoke to Jon Driedger of FarmLink Marketing Solutions about what exactly is going on in the markets and what we can expect to see.

SEE MORE CANOLA SCHOOL episodes.

If you cannot see the embedded video below click here.

Looks can be deceiving when you’re trying to figure out when your canola field is ready to be harvested. This year especially, varied staging in fields is a real issue. According to Jim Bessel, Senior Agronomy Specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, that varied staging will make harvest decisions a real “mindbender”. Bessel says that in a year like this, every farmer has to make their own call on when to swath. The best way to make that call is to get in the field and check those plants to establish what percent of the seed has changed colour. Your crop may look ready from the road, but only a look inside the pods can tell you if you’re ready to go.

I spoke to Jim Bessel about how we make that assessment and how much of that seed has to change before we need to move in and get this crop into the bin.

SEE MORE CANOLA SCHOOL episodes.

If you cannot see the embedded video below click here.

For a lot of farmers across the west, figuring out when to swath their canola fields may be as stressful as trying to get it in the ground was. The overabundance of moisture and the cool temperatures that producers had to deal with at the beginning of the season have caused varied staging in areas across the prairies now. This week on the Canola School, we talk to Murray Hartman of Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development about when we should consider swathing that crop and what kind of things we should consider during that harvest window.

SEE MORE CANOLA SCHOOL episodes.

If you cannot see the embedded video below click here.