Reading Time: 3 minutes Blackleg has become an expensive problem for canola producers, but growers will soon have two new tools to reduce the economic impact of the disease. “Blackleg wasn’t a real concern even a few years ago, but now it’s becoming increasingly important,” said Stephen Strelkov, a professor of plant pathology at the University of Alberta. “This […] Read more
Canola producers get two new tools in the fight against blackleg
Tools to estimate yield loss and pinpoint the strain infesting your fields can help reduce the economic hit
THE GOLDEN CROP: The story for canola keeps getting better
Near-record crush and increasing global demand show that canola’s successful run is far from over
Reading Time: 4 minutes Canola is king across Alberta — and there’s no reason to think it won’t have a long and healthy reign. “Canola offers a leading and consistent mix of superior agronomics and strong demand,” said Greg Kostal, president of Kostal Ag Consulting. “Yeah, it has its ups and downs, and there’s little micro-reasons for it. But […] Read more
Harvest better than expected in most — but not all — areas
Expectations were low in many areas of the province, but yield and quality have generally been decent
Reading Time: 3 minutes This year’s crop quality and yields are better than expected, which comes as a major surprise to both farmers and agronomists across the province. “Even as late as seeding was done, the yield seems to be average or better than expected, which is surprising, when some canola was planted on the 7th or 8th of […] Read more
Proper grain storage pays off
Getting grain to proper temperature and moisture levels is just the first step — constant monitoring is also vital
Reading Time: 4 minutes A grain producer’s hard work doesn’t end at harvest. “A tremendous amount of work goes into getting that crop to the point where you can actually put it in storage,” said Brent Elliott, infestation control and sanitation officer at the Canadian Grain Commission. “And once they’ve put it in storage, the common thought is, ‘OK, […] Read more
Proceed with caution when it comes to micronutrients, says agronomist
It’s not hard to spend thousands of dollars on micronutrients that aren’t needed or produce little benefit, says Ross McKenzie
Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers need to put on their critical thinking caps when dealing with micronutrient claims — or risk spending lots of money for no or marginal results. There is a lot of hype surrounding supplemental micronutrients right now, said Ross McKenzie, a retired agronomy research scientist. However, not all micronutrients are created equally; some of the […] Read more
Get the lowdown on grain grading
Workshop in Olds on July 27
Reading Time: < 1 minute [UPDATED: July 24, 2017]*: The Making the Grade workshop will be held at Olds College on July 27. Producers will participate in hands-on grading workshops for barley, canola, wheat, and pulses. Speakers from the Canadian Grains Commission, Cigi, and the Canola Council of Canada will guide participants through the details of grading parameters and practices. As […] Read more
New canola variety labels show different strains of blackleg resistance
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new labelling system now tells growers which strain of blackleg resistance their canola variety has. “The idea is not to use that same strain of blackleg resistance repeatedly,” said Canola Council of Canada agronomist Keith Gabert. “If you can rotate blackleg resistance and we can tell you what resistance your previous variety had and […] Read more
High moisture levels could drive up canola diseases across province
Sclerotinia can reduce canola yields by up to 50 per cent — but a well-timed fungicide application can prevent some of those losses
Reading Time: 4 minutes It may be a little bit early to guess, but canola agronomist Keith Gabert predicts that sclerotinia will be a problem in canola crops this summer. “We always assume that we’re going to have sclerotinia issues,” said the Canola Council of Canada agronomist. “Typically, sclerotinia germinates under good moisture conditions, so we’re making the assumption […] Read more
Broadcast seeding: A last-resort option may gain traction this season
It’s far from ideal, but broadcasting may be the only choice for some this seeding season
Reading Time: 3 minutes All winter, many Albertan crop producers have had the distinct displeasure of driving past acres — in some cases, the many acres — they were unable to harvest last fall. In a best-case scenario, there will be enough time to harvest any redeemable crop, manage residue, and still seed in a timely fashion. But some […] Read more
Canola ripples felt widely through the Alberta and Canadian economies
The crop now contributes $26.7 billion a year to the Canadian economy, with a quarter of that in Alberta
Reading Time: 2 minutes Like a rock thrown in a lake creates ripples on shore, a new study shows the canola sector’s impact is growing large, causing ripples to turn to waves. Canola’s contribution to the Canadian economy has tripled over the past decade to $26.7 billion a year, according to an independent analysis done for the Canola Council […] Read more
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