Verticillium wilt is a well known global disease that impacts many different crops. Verticillium stripe, however, is a lesser-known disease and one impacting canola, specifically. They may have similar names, however, they are not nearly the same disease, and it’s important to know that when discussing the disease, says Clint Jurke of the Canola Council… Read More
Category: Canola Disease, Weeds & Insects
Advancements in RNA interference (RNAi) technology could soon unlock new tools for managing canola pests and pathogens, such as sclerotinia and flea beetles. RNAi — ribonucleic acid interference — involves targeting specific RNA sequences in a disease or pest, rather than targeting entire proteins or enzymes, as is the case with current pesticides. It’s a… Read More
“We’ve always done it that way” isn’t always the best approach in farming, and that includes the decision on how much fertilizer to put down with canola at seeding. Canola is sensitive to fertilizer toxicity, especially in dry soil conditions. It’s well worth revisiting what’s traditionally been considered a safe rate in the seed row,… Read More
To till or not to till? It’s an ongoing conversation in areas where water is controlled through irrigation or risk of soil erosion is high. Carlo Van Herk, research technician with Farming Smarter, says strip tillage ahead of a canola crop could be the answer, as it creates a happy medium between soil water conservation… Read More
Bertha armyworm isn’t necessarily an insect pest the Prairies have had huge amounts of trouble with over the last few years. Which is exactly why it may be our turn for an “on” cycle, says Keith Gabert of the Canola Council of Canada. If there are bertha armyworm in the field, it’s important to get… Read More
There’s plenty to learn from early scouting trips across the field, including seed survival, seeding depth, and evaluating the effectiveness of inputs so far. One of those key early inputs includes a seed treatment, and one of the most common uses for insecticidal seed treatments on canola is to fight flea beetles. Because feeding on… Read More
When’s the best time to control cutworms in canola? For growers wanting to take out the pest it’s best to put away the sun glasses and reach for the night vision goggles. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Canola School, BASF agronomist Leighton Blashko walks a field of canola near Sherwood Park, Alta., and tells… Read More
Verticillium stripe — a disease first discovered in Western Canada in 2014 — appears to be taking advantage of the stress to canola plants caused by an old, familiar disease pathogen. While research to understand Verticillium longisporum in the Prairies is still in its early stages, there’s a hypothesis that its prevalence in a canola… Read More
The growing season is busy. From before the crop goes into the ground, to after it’s harvested, there are a million different things on the go. Although skipping any steps is frowned upon, one step that should never be skipped is a proper sprayer tank clean out, says Shawn Senko of the Canola Council of… Read More
Canola is not a very competitive crop in its early stages, so keeping an eye on the competition is key. We’ve covered on the Canola School why a pre-emerge herbicide pass can be valuable, but of course, the next step is to watch for weeds that have emerged with the crop. Sean McKnight, technical service… Read More
Once the canola crop has emerged, keep eyes peeled for pesky early insects. Across Western Canada, the top two insects of concern tend to be cutworms and — you guessed it — flea beetles. Anique Josuttes of BASF says even though we say it year after year, the number one tool you can use is… Read More
Ideally, we want to get every crop off to the best start possible. One of the ways that this can be done in canola is through a pre-emergent herbicide, says Marissa Robitaille Balog, of the Canola Council of Canada. “Canola isn’t super competitive when it’s small,” Robitaille explains in this Canola School episode. “It’s pretty… Read More
When talking about flea beetles and flea beetle pressure, it’s really all a numbers game. How can we get the least amount of insects across a wide range of plants? The key, says Jack Payne of South Country Co-op, is uniform seeding and emergence. Getting canola crop off to a quick and even start will… Read More
Farmers in Western Canada should add another chemistry to the list to pay attention to when it comes to herbicide resistance in kochia, says a weed scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The problematic weed is already known to be resistant to Group 2, Group 4 and/or Group 9 herbicides. “The new thing that we’re… Read More
After spending close to 2,500 hours over the last five years operating a sprayer equipped with optical spraying technology on his farm near Fisk, Saskatchewan, Carl deConinck Smith is not only an early adopter, but also a proponent of weed-sensing technology on sprayers. “Five years ago, we felt it was about a three-year return on… Read More