Clint Jurke, agronomy director for the Canola Council of Canada, says he believes the Canadian canola industry has a lot to feel encouraged about.

Tools to reach 52 bushels per acre canola in 2023

Focus on and execute these five agronomy priorities to increase overall yields and profitability

Last year, the national average canola yield in Canada came in at 38 bushels per acre, according to Statistics Canada. It’s an improvement on 25 bushels per acre in 2021, when drought conditions drove yields down across Western Canada, but it’s still well short of the 52-bushel-per-acre yield target the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) […] Read more

A University of Saskatchewan researcher conducting phosphorus fertilization trials near Central Butte in 2021.

Phosphorus fertility studies reveal best placement

Proper placement of phosphorus fertilizer is crucial to meet the nutritional needs of plants

Like most Canadians these days, farmers are looking to get the most bang for their bucks. That’s especially true when it comes to applying phosphorus fertilizers to their fields. Jeff Schoenau, a professor of soil fertility at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) and chair of soil nutrient management for the Saskatchewan Ministry of […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Canola short position finally subsiding

CBOT wheat, corn also net short

MarketsFarm — After hitting the largest speculative short position in canola on record, managed money fund traders were finally covering those bearish bets in late March, according to the latest Commitments of Traders report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). As of March 28, the net managed money short position in canola futures […] Read more

Water-soaked lesions after artificial inoculations in the chambers.

Five tips for managing bacterial leaf streak

Currently no seed treatments or in-crop disease control options exist. Understanding the disease is critical to managing it

While bacterial leaf streak (BLS) has been reported in Canada for at least 100 years, its incidence appears to be rising in both irrigated and non-irrigated Prairie wheat and barley acres over the past decade. BLS directly affects yield and grain quality and decreases emergence. Primarily seed-borne (at least for now), it is especially devastating […] Read more


As part of a series of weed abundance surveys, 2,277 fields across Saskatchewan were surveyed in 2019 and 2021. That data was used to provide metrics such as the frequency and density with which weed species can occur in a region after post-emergence herbicide application.

Herbicide-resistant weed update for Saskatchewan

Your biggest herbicide-resistant weed threats for 2023 based on the latest survey results

As any farmer will attest to, herbicide-resistant weeds are a growing concern on the Canadian Prairies. In fact, it’s estimated they cost farmers in Western Canada as much as $530 million annually in lost yields and alternative weed management practices. Charles Geddes, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), who specializes in weed […] Read more

ICE July 2023 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Not a matter of when, but where canola peaks

Prevailing trend remains downward

MarketsFarm — As the rally in canola on ICE Futures continued Wednesday, an analyst stressed it’s not when this upswing ends, but where. David Derwin of PI Financial in Winnipeg spoke of when canola prices were falling, and they broke through that psychological barrier of $800 per tonne on their way down. “That was the […] Read more


A PAMI staff member holds up a grain loss pan after taking a sample from one of the combines used in a recent project.

How to reduce canola combine losses

A recent PAMI study shows canola combine grain losses can be significant. Here’s what you can do

Combine grain loss is a fact of life for most canola growers on the Canadian Prairies. A recent study conducted by the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) provided a snapshot of how significant those losses can be and what producers can do to reduce them. The On-Farm Survey of Combine Grain Loss in Canola Across […] Read more

Manufactured in Saskatoon, Sask., the Redekop Seed Control Unit can be fitted onto the back of a combine to provide harvest weed seed control.

Use multiple strategies to control weeds in your crops

Rising herbicide resistance means it’s time to broaden your weed control arsenal with chemical, mechanical and non-chemical methods

Herbicides have long been the go-to solution for Prairie grain producers fighting weed infestations. Over time, it has led to widespread resistance development in many weed species and a shrinking list of chemical options for controlling pervasive weeds like kochia and wild oats that have become resistant to multiple modes of action in recent years. […] Read more


Precision AI’s drone is powered by a hybrid gasoline-electric engine, which provides up to two hours of flight time.

Green-on-green tech prepares for airborne launch

A Saskatchewan-based startup is testing precision drone spraying on the Prairies this spring, but there’s no word yet on a regulatory framework to allow full commercialization

There are a growing number of options for green-on-green herbicide spray application technologies available to farmers. Companies like John Deere, BASF and Bilberry are using artificial intelligence and advanced computer vision to develop green-on-green spot sprayers, some of them capable of functioning autonomously. What about an autonomous, green-on-green spot sprayer that flies? It might sound […] Read more

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Canola fund short position still rising

Managed money net long in soybeans

MarketsFarm — The size of the fund short position in continued to rise in early March, according to the latest Commitments of Traders data out from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). As of March 7, the net managed money short position in canola came in at 46,222 contracts (61,998 short/15,776 long), an increase […] Read more