Unless it’s too late and you’ve already found clubroot symptoms in your canola, you won’t know whether you have it without getting tested. This Canola School episode focuses on testing for clubroot and how to go about determining whether clubroot spores are present in the soil. Finding the nasty soil-borne disease when spore loads are still low… Read More

Rotation is generally a critical part of mitigating any disease resistance problem. When it comes to preventing the breakdown of resistance in blackleg-resistant canola varieties, the first line of defence is an extended crop rotation with non-host crops. Beyond that, growers can also rotate the canola varieties they’re growing, suggests Anastasia Kubinec, oilseed specialist with Manitoba Agriculture,… Read More

Millions of dollars are invested in managing a crop before it’s in the bin, and that management doesn’t stop just because it’s in storage. Sensors that monitor temperature and moisture levels inside a bin are important tools for maintaining the value of a stored crop, notes Joy Agnew of the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute at Humboldt, Sask. “These… Read More

Brassicogethes aeneus, commonly referred to as the pollen beetle and formerly known as Meligethes aeneus, is a major pest of canola in countries like Scandinavia, and, is now present in eastern Canada. And, though they are not yet a problem in western Canada, entomologists are suggesting we become familiar with what to look for. “One nice thing… Read More

With findings of clubroot disease in parts of Western Canada where it has not been a problem before, at what point should a farmer in these new clubroot areas switch to growing clubroot-resistant canola varieties? To make that decision, you must first assess and prioritize the risks to your canola, suggests Anastasia Kubinec, oilseed specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, in this Canola… Read More

Although one of the most widespread micronutrient deficiencies globally, boron deficiency is rare in western Canadian soils. The odds of getting a response from the addition of boron is low for general applications, according to the Canola Council of Canada, and low-moderate for in season stress response. Find the entire Canola School library, here! Boron… Read More

Although canola’s calcium requirements are relatively high (about double the level of sulphur and phosphorous, according to the Canola Council of Canada), deficiencies are rarely seen in western Canada. When deficiencies do occur, it is often as a result of highly saturated soils, which do not allow the plant to take up adequate nutrients. That… Read More