May 17, 2012

Canola School: Clubroot is Spreading in Alberta

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Recent reports from the Canola Council of Canada have shown the slow movement of clubroot into previously uninfected areas of Alberta. That information, while concerning, should not really come as a surprise to farmers in the province. Conditions have been optimal for the speed of clubroot in Alberta this year based on the very wet [...]

Canola School: Western Harvest Update

Lexion combine being cleaned

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 [...]

Canola School : Should I Consider Straight Cutting?

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 School: Determining Swath Timing and 60% Color Change

I have been around canola fields my entire life and when you factor in all of the growing challenges and key points, the most misunderstood is the decision of “when should I swath?”  I get more calls to our office during this time of the growing season than any other.  Swath timing is incredibly difficult [...]

Canola School – Canola Market Analysis – Jon Driedger, Farmlink Marketing Solutions

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 [...]

Canola School: Seed Colour Change & Harvest Timing – Jim Bessel, Canola Council of Canada

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 [...]

Canola School: When Should I Swath My Canola? – Murray Hartman, Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development

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 [...]

Canola School: Manufacturers Address Common Mistakes Farmers make Adjusting their Combine

Canola harvest is still a few months away, but it’s still a good time to get familiar with your combine. Last weeks “Picking up Profits” combine clinic put on by the Canola Council of Canada brought industry experts as well as a number of different combine manufacturers together in an effort to help producers limit [...]

Canola School: An Update on Lygus Bug Activity – Gregory Sekulic, The Canola Council of Canada

Lygus bugs are a pest that are not particularly picky when it comes to what they feed on. The bug has over 300 known host plants, and feeds on the sap of a plants new growth and reproductive tissue. Unfortunately, among the long list of plants they like to feed on is the canola plant. [...]

Canola School: Crop Conditions Across the Prairies – Jim Bessel, Canola Council of Canada

The start of the 2011 growing season was challenging to say the least. Wet weather and unseasonably cool conditions in the majority of the west had producers stressed out and wondering if they would get a crop in at all. That was the case in fact in large areas of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Fast forward [...]