Category: Canola School

“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

There’s so much to observe and learn from a well set-up trial. This growing season, we’re following a set of trials with Robert MacDonald, manager of agronomic excellence with BASF, looking at several aspects of canola production. Earlier, MacDonald dug into seeding rate and depth differences. In this episode of the Canola School, MacDonald runs… 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

Canola has a very high sulphur need, unlike most other annual crops. Sulphur is relatively mobile in the soil, but not in the plant. It’s also a nutrient that comes in a readily-available and slow-release form. All told, sulphur management of canola takes some careful planning and forethought, with a few key cautions thrown in…. 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

Heading out to the field within a few weeks of canola emergence is a great way to fully assess seeder performance, stand establishment and uniformity, and identify early insect pressure. When assessing plant establishment, it’s important to distinguish between a seedling that is intended and one that’s perhaps a holdover volunteer from a past crop…. Read More

For many in Western Canada, making it through the Victoria Day long weekend often means we are in the clear from Jack Frost. We also know with every anecdotal rule comes an exception. Part of the central Prairies did see low to freezing temps late this season and that’s prompted several questions about if there’s… Read More

When it comes to seed-placed fertilizer, canola can be quite sensitive. According to Shawn Senko of the Canola Council of Canada (CCC), for the most part the only nutrient you need in-furrow with the canola seed is phosphorus, as it has an early season uptake and doesn’t move very far. There are published seed safety… Read More