First found in 2014 in Manitoba, verticillium stripe has become a more common disease found in canola. In parts of Manitoba, the season started with an excess of moisture and was hot, which led to the perfect breeding ground for the disease. Which is why it was the heaviest year on record in Western Canada… Read More
Category: Canola Disease, Weeds & Insects
The ground may freeze and the plants stop growing, but there’s no “off season” for good agronomy. Just because the crop is in the bin, doesn’t mean we should stop thinking about how to improve production. The way to do that, says Leighton Blashko of BASF, is to think of the 5 Ws of planning… Read More
Despite the calendar date, many areas of the Prairies haven’t seen a killing frost this fall, which means the window for fall weed control is still open. As producers, agronomists, and everyone in-between are surveying fields, the perennial weeds are likely getting noticed. As Leighton Blashko, technical service specialist with BASF, says, there’s still time… Read More
Both lygus bugs and diamondback moths can cause issues for canola growers, not only because of the damage they do to a crop, but also because they tend to show up later in the growing season, which can complicate or eliminate the option to spray. For this episode of the Canola School, Jaden Wood-Sparrow, agronomy… Read More
Diamondback moths blow in at some point early in the season (thanks, America!), and set about living on the Prairies and in the canola crop for the rest of the growing season. Jordan Bannerman, entomologist with the University of Manitoba, says that understanding when the moths arrive, through the use of pheromone traps, and how long… Read More
By early July, many canola fields across the Prairies are in the beginning stages of bolting. According to Héctor Cárcamo, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Lethbridge, Alta., that’s a great time to start thinking about the cabbage seed pod weevil. Before worrying about thresholds and spray timing for the insect pest that can… Read More
The decision whether to spray a fungicide for sclerotinia stem rot always comes back to the disease triangle — a susceptible host, the presence of the pathogen, and a favourable environment — and many canola-growing areas currently have all three. Under “favourable environment,” sclerotinia requires moist soil conditions to germinate. The last few years have… Read More
Canola seedlings have experienced a tough start in many areas of the Prairies this year. In Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan, the crop has had to come through flooding, broadcast seeding, compaction, crusting, and flea beetles (stay away, grasshoppers), while it’s been the opposite soil moisture scenario in drought-stricken parts of Alberta and western Saskatchewan. In… Read More
There are two main species of flea beetles across the Prairies: the striped flea beetle and the crucifer flea beetle. Both can have devastating impacts on the canola crop, however, they have a few differences between them. As Héctor Cárcamo, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) at Lethbridge, Alta., explains, the crucifier flea beetle… Read More
Validating economic thresholds for flea beetles can be tricky — especially when we know the damage the insect can do to the canola crop. Héctor Cárcamo, research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) at Lethbridge, Alta., recently completed a study that confirms an economic threshold. The team at AAFC found that 25 per cent… Read More
With some insects, we may be confused as to why they have the name they do. When it comes to cutworms — this isn’t the case. It’s pretty “cut” and dry…as the pest will feed on the stems of the plant. Cutworms unfortunately don’t have terrific forecast maps, as Jack Payne of South Country Co-op… Read More
When it comes to seeding depth of canola, there are many different opinions and recommendations out there. While there may not be a right or wrong answer — did you know you can potentially mitigate flea beetle pressure through seeding depth? Flea beetles can be one of the most detrimental insect when it comes to… Read More
We’ve all experienced those fields where the weeds have gotten out of hand. Sometimes weeds getting away on us is because we didn’t have a great handle on what was out there to begin with. RongRong Xian, technical service manager with BASF, says scouting before you get into the field with the drill is key…. Read More
Looking at the current state of the commodity markets, you may be tempted to make some last minute changes to your crop plan. Deviating away from your crop rotation may seem like a good idea in the short term, but as Sheldon Toews, technical service specialist with BASF, explains in this Canola School episode that… Read More
As the snow melts, many producers across the Prairies are eagerly awaiting for the day they can get in the field — if they there aren’t already. Sheldon Toews, technical service specialist with BASF, says when it comes to getting canola seed in the ground, farmers definitely need to pay attention to soil temperatures. “You… Read More