Any type of disease that affects the seedling stage of canola has to be taken seriously. Seedling blight can be devastating to your canola crop before or after germination. Knowing what you’re looking for and how to deal with it can put you in a position to assess your risk and take action that can… Read More
The issue of herbicide resistance is something producers will have to continue to be vigilant about. Careful consideration needs to go into the “when” “how” and “what” to use of your individual weed control strategy. That strategy in turn needs to be balanced with a good sense of corporate responsibility about producer issues like herbicide… Read More
Canola acres across the west have grown continuously over the years. The profitability of canola on the farm has not only expanded acres but also caused producers to tighten rotations. With those increased acres and short rotations the threat of disease becomes magnified. Sclerotinia is one of those diseases that, once established, can have devastating… Read More
The clubroot problem is growing, and it’s not a matter that can be avoided any more. So what has the canola industry at large learned from clubroot? I discussed the clubroot issue with Clint Jurke of the Canola Council of Canada and found a number of things that we’ve learned from the experience. First, we have found that… Read More
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… Read More
Wet conditions over the past few years have brought the importance of fungicide back on to the producers radar. Those conditions are the final piece of the puzzle diseases like sclerotinia need to get established and cause real damage to canola. The devastating results of fungal diseases are helping producers to realize the importance of… Read More
Most people think, with wet, cool conditions, cutworms are not a problem. For the most part that’s true, but the cutworm is a very diverse insect with many different species and types. This makes it difficult to typify their behaviour as a whole and risky to ignore them just because of the weather. They can… Read More
With the wet weather across the prairies getting all the media attention, you would assume that most farmers would be dealing with pests that come with an over abundance of moisture. With the majority of the west being wet except for the Peace, pests that love moisture will become a real problem. The interesting thing… Read More
When the conditions are right, flea beetles move quickly and devastate quickly. The bugs are the most chronically damaging insect pest of canola in Western Canada. They inflict the most damage on canola at the seedling stage, inhibiting proper plant growth and delaying maturity. They will feed on more mature plants, but canola at later… Read More
Canola research continues to receive a lot of attention from the breeding programs around the world. In Canada canola is a very important crop for seed companies, processors and most of all farmers. Due to the fact canola is an accepted biotech crop in Canada researchers are working very diligently to increase the traits available… Read More
The lygus bug is a pest that continues to be a problem for farmers in the west. The need to scout the bug is from bolting on through the crop cycle. The lygus bug can cause significant yield loss and damage to the canola plant. In the early flowering period it can be easy to… Read More
With the advent of the introduction of seed treatments like Helix Extra, we do not hear as much about flea beetles anymore. The reality is that they are still around and could have an impact on your yield. Forecasts for this pest are difficult and we require the pest to eat the plants in order… Read More
With canola being one of the only crops in Western Canada that will enable a profit on the farm this year we need to do our best to protect it. One of the largest threats to canola yields is the cabbage seed pod weevil. The cabbage seed pod weevil mainly affects areas of Alberta and… Read More
In this edition of the canola school Matt Stanford of the Canola Council of Canada breaks down the issue of lygus bugs and their impact on the canola crop. Knowing the correct timing for spraying is very important in terms of lygus bugs.
When the canola canopy is thick and moisture is abundant applying fungicide is necessary. Matt Stanford of the Canola Council of Canada helps you go through the process of why or why not in terms of applying fungicide this season. See more of the Canola School