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

Tidewater Renewables has completed construction on Canada’s first stand-alone renewable diesel refinery. The company says production will begin at the Prince George, B.C., facility “soon.” British Columbia’s government and Tidewater announced the completion of the project on Friday, June 16, 2023. The plant is expected to produce more than 3,000 barrels of fuel a day,… 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

Positive results of feeding canola meal to cattle is not new — the dairy industry is already a big fan of the protein supplement. But ongoing beef cattle research out of Saskatchewan is looking at the impact of supplementing heifers on pasture and how the practice might extend grazing sites in lower grass production years…. 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

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

When scouting for blackleg, many imagine clipping stems near swathing or harvest time. But did you know that infection actually occurs at the very beginning of the growing season? If you’re in a high risk situation, such as a tight rotation, growing the same variety, or have background resistance in the field, the disease can… 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

The rule of thumb for planting soybeans in Western Canada has generally been to wait until the soil is 10 degrees C — often after canola is in the ground, but there are a number of reasons, including historical yield data, that suggest the crop would benefit from earlier planting. This Soybean School episode, recorded… Read More

 

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