Clubroot has been confirmed in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and can cause yield losses between 30 and 100 per cent. Sanitation, crop rotation, using resistant cultivars, and managing susceptible weeds are all useful strategies in the clubroot toolbox to mitigate infection, but what other strategies are there, and how effective are they for controlling clubroot… Read More
Soil sampling and having a fertility plan in place might be even more important after a drought year. There’s a good chance that the fertilizer applied in the spring wasn’t used up by crops. Where yields were lower than anticipated, it’s a good idea to get into the field, and see what’s left in terms… Read More
After a drought, lingering effects of herbicides can really pose a threat for the next cropping year. In this Canola School episode, Breanne Tidemann, research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe, Alta., explains why there’s a risk for herbicide carryover from residual products for the upcoming crop year. Tidemann says that it’s important to… Read More
The Herrema family have been giving back since Gary Herrema emigrated from Holland to farming country in Ontario’s Durham Region in 1949. The Uxbridge, Ont. farm family has always been active in local fairs, farm and community groups, and municipal politics. They also believe investing in their soil is vital for the health of their… Read More
For Western Canada, the 2021 growing season has been one of the worst on record for both severe drought and extreme heat. As a result, the risk of injury from herbicide carryover in sensitive crops in the 2022 growing season is high, so much so that BASF has issued an urgent notice to growers for… Read More
The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) has named Chris Davison as vice president, stakeholder and industry relations, and Troy Sherman as director, government relations, both based in Ottawa, Ont. “We are very fortunate to have Chris and Troy join our organization,” says Jim Everson, president of the CCC. “Together, they will draw on the strengths… Read More
Using clubroot resistant genetics and lengthening rotations are highly recommended practices for managing clubroot on the Prairies. But is there more farmers could do? “Ninety per cent of those clubroot spores can die with a two-year break, so one in three rotation, that’s really critical, if you have a shorter rotation than that, and you’re… Read More
As swath timing and harvest approach, it’s time to pay close attention to pre-harvest intervals. “PHI or pre-harvest interval is a really important concept to understand, and it’s actually a really easy concept to use,” says Keith Gabert, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, in this episode of Canola School. “The labels are… Read More
Forage and hay production this year has been challenging, and livestock producers in much of the Northern Great Plains and the western half of North America are looking for alternative forage resources and feeding strategies. Zach Carlson, extension beef specialist at North Dakota State University, is looking at options for producers who might have canola… Read More
Lygus bugs attack several broadleaf crops, including alfalfa, flax, faba beans, lentils, and canola. They are a pest of concern that have been a focus for Hector Carcamo, research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alta. He joins Kara Oosterhuis for this Canola School episode to talk about lygus bug species, the conditions they… Read More
Farmers will notice a significant difference with DEKALB canola seed bags going forward. Bayer CropScience has announced it will move to number of seeds/bag versus weight, to help farmers more easily achieve target plant populations. For 2022, each bag of DEKALB canola will contain no fewer than 4.2 million seeds — enough for 10 acres… Read More
The Alberta government announced it will use $4.7 million from the TIER fund through Emissions Reduction Alberta to build a facility in Lethbridge to produce renewable fuel. The Canary Biofuels facility, with an estimated worth of $28.6 million, will produce approximately 70 million litres of high-value renewable fuel. The facility is slated to be the… Read More
Plot trials are a great way to gain preliminary research findings about a particular subject. Based just outside of Lethbridge, Alta., Farming Smarter’s primary focus is applied research that helps producers make informed choices around inputs, technology and management practices for their operations. Carlo Van Herk, research technician at Farming Smarter, walks Kara Oosterhuis through the… Read More
It doesn’t matter what the prices are if you have no crop to sell. That’s a hard truth that Neil Townsend of FarmLink Marketing Solutions shares in this week’s Wednesday edition of RealAg Radio on Rural Radio 147 Sirius XM. There’s going to be low numbers on canola, wheat, barley — you name it, he… Read More
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