It’s been dry, windy, and hot across most of the Prairies this year, and an insect pest that you don’t typically see attacking canola is thriving in these conditions. Lyle Jensen, agronomist at AgroPlus, joins Kara Oosterhuis for this Canola School episode where they discuss grasshopper pressures and options for control. “As we’ve basically been… Read More
Cabbage seedpod weevil can cause considerable yield loss to a canola and other brassica crops, such as mustard. As adults, the pest is three to four millimetres in length, is ash-grey in colour, and has a prominent curved snout, similar to other weevils. Meghan Vankosky, field crop entomologist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Saskatoon, joins… Read More
It’s been dry in parts of Western Canada heading into canola flowering, but has it been dry enough to hold off on spraying for sclerotinia? That’s a question many growers and agronomists in drought-affected areas have been asking themselves over the last week or two. There are really two basic factors to consider in the… Read More
It’s well-known that canola does not like heat during flowering. As soon as daytime highs rise beyond 30 degrees C — as we’re seeing through the current heat wave in Western Canada — the plant can become heat stressed, which leads to blasting and aborted pods. High temperatures can essentially cause a breakdown in communication… Read More
Herbicide strategy for in-crop applications in canola first requires knowing what weeds are out there, and keeping in mind that two applications is an option. In this Canola School episode, Jaeda Hoppe, field crop agronomist with UYMI Agronomy at Biggar, Sask., says that two in-crop herbicide applications is likely if the weeds are there and… Read More
Winter canola isn’t actually that new of a crop to Ontario — there were certainly some acres produced in the 80s and 90s — but there’s been a resurgence in the last five years with increased availability of a new variety. Meghan Moran, OMAFRA canola and dry edible bean specialist, joins Bernard Tobin in a… Read More
Flea beetles are one of the most detrimental insects for the early stages of canola, but new research sheds some light on how seeding date can be used to get ahead of this pest. In this Canola School episode, Hector Carcamo, research scientist at AAFC Lethbridge, shares some interesting results on how two species of… Read More
The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) has recently updated a few agronomy graphics, including the life cycle of blackleg. “We’ve had different life cycles in the past, but we wanted to update it and provide a little bit more information kind of in a one shot,” says Justine Cornelsen, agronomy specialist with CCC. In this… Read More
It’s still early days, but as we wait for soil temperatures to warm up in parts of the Prairies and for canola seeding to roll in full force, it’s good to review the potential for canola diseases. Root rot pathogens pose a certain amount of risk to a canola crop early in the season. Justine Cornelsen,… Read More
Flea beetles are a common insect pest in early growing canola across the Prairies. There are two important species of concern for canola (and mustard) growers: the striped flea beetle and the crucifer flea beetle. “The feeding is indistinguishable, but the striped flea beetle comes up earlier,” says James Tansey, provincial entomologist with Saskatchewan Ministry… Read More
Any time you’re growing canola, and any field you’re growing it in, clubroot should be on your mind. For Leighton Blashko, senior technical specialist at BASF Canada, the two most important things when it comes to this yield-robbing disease are sanitation and avoidance. In this Canola School episode, Blashko and field editor Kara Oosterhuis talk about… Read More
Starting the year off on the right foot requires a little bit of forethought and planning. When it comes to keeping a canola crop clean during the early stages of growth, there are some steps to take before even seeding the crop. Dr. Charles Geddes, research scientist in weed ecology and cropping systems at Agriculture… Read More
If the weather was in your favour this fall, and the canola is off, now is a great opportunity to review what went wrong or what went right with the crop. One way to get some insight is to do plant stand counts and some post-harvest scouting. “Despite the challenges that 2020 threw at us,… Read More
Walking into a green, fully-podded canola field isn’t easy — it’s actually more like swimming if you’ve got a good stand and your plants are well knit together. But, it’s important to really get into the field to scout for bertha armyworms. Before you wade in to your canola to look for this pest, Gregory… Read More
Kochia is a big concern for farmers across the Prairies, primarily because it’s a tough weed to kill, and the population is rife with herbicide resistance. Most farmers are aware of Group 2 resistance — which is old news — but newer Group 9 resistance is cropping up, which further complicates control of this prolific… Read More