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This post-harvest photo of a canola stem with verticillium stripe shows how the stem has senesced and the epidermis is shredding to reveal the microsclerotia.
Canola, Crops, Features

Verticillium stripe should be on your radar for 2020 and beyond

Three things you need to know about the disease

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When Verticillium longisporum-infected canola was first discovered in Manitoba in 2014, it was quickly followed by countrywide soil surveys conducted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in 2015. Those surveys revealed V. longisporum populations in British Columbia and every province eastward as far as, and including, Quebec. And while it hasn’t reached the point where […] Read more
Canola plants that are highly infected with clubroot may have large galls.
Canola, Crops

Steps to prevent and mitigate clubroot in your fields

Your guide to identification, risk reduction and disease control

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Clubroot is a serious soil-borne disease. If conditions are right, it can cause up to 100 per cent yield loss in canola. And while yield loss can be low when conditions aren’t favourable, the pathogen is hardy and easily overwinters in the tough Canadian climate. Come spring, resting spores not only germinate where they overwintered, […] Read more
Two plants infected with brown girdling root rot (right) and two uninfected plants (left).
Canola, Crops

How to identify and prevent root rots in canola

If you’re not scouting for root rots, that doesn’t mean they’re not there

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Survey data from Western Canada’s provincial agriculture departments don’t have really good numbers when it comes to root rots. The difficulty is not many growers are scouting for them, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. The pathogens that cause root rot can impact yield severely, especially if infection occurs early in the season. The […] Read more
Left to right: verticillium stripe, blackleg, clean/ healthy plant. Plants rated at 60 per cent seed colour change.
Canola, Crops

Blackleg best management practices to keep disease levels low

Is blackleg increasing in your fields? Use BMPs to keep the disease at bay

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For the longest time, yield loss due to blackleg has been significantly reduced through the use of disease-resistant canola varieties. However, those genetics were first introduced nearly 20 years ago and are now starting to be overcome. For a disease that has mostly been ignored by farmers, this means there is a need to reintroduce […] Read more
The crown rust disease damages plants’ leaves, reducing the photosynthetic area. When pustules erupt, the plant loses water.
Crops, Oats

Oat diseases that affect your crop and what to do about them

Don’t let crown rust rob your yield

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Following the announcement of plans to build a new oat mill in Manitoba last October, growers may be considering adding oats to the rotation. They’re a good cold-weather crop, prices have been decent and demand has been stable. Those adding oats to the rotation should be aware of the major diseases that affect both yield […] Read more
Swedish machinery manufacturer Väderstad believes singulation provided by its PowerShoot technology could be the solution that significantly improves canola establishment in Western Canada.
Machinery & Shop, Machinery and Shop

Väderstad makes canola seed singulation possible

PowerShoot technology offers precision, improved canola stand establishment

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Canola seed’s small size makes it sensitive to deep seeding. Both uniform placement and depth tend to improve emergence and seedling survival rates, which is crucial considering the high cost of seed. It’s not just about seed cost, though. It’s about creating a better environment to produce a stronger crop. Swedish machinery manufacturer Väderstad believes […] Read more
Once harvest is in the hopper, it’s time to reap the reward for your efforts. But what qualities are oat millers looking for?
Crops, Oats

How to get top dollar for your oat crop

What millers look for and the agronomic practices to get there

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Over the past 10 years, oats have gone from being somewhat of an afterthought to one of the more lucrative crops grown on the Prairies. Oats are a useful crop to have in the rotation as they are cold tolerant and can be planted earlier than other crops. They also fetch a fairly good price […] Read more
Research shows early seeding will increase oat yield, test weight and plump.
Crops, Oats

Want to plant oats in 2020? Here’s how to improve your yields

Start with variety and field selection, fertility and plant population

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Oat production in Canada increased 21 per cent between 2018 and 2019, according to Statistics Canada. This increase is due, in part, to higher harvested area, but also to record yields. And since markets remain stable and strong, and the average provincial price of oats in the Prairie provinces is currently strong, interest will likely […] Read more
The Tempo system uses a positive air system to put seeds in the ground.
Machinery & Shop

Väderstad introduces central-fill functionality

Väderstad’s new Tempo L planters come with central-fill functionality

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The company is excited about the launch of central-fill functionality, as it will further increase the capacity of its Tempo L range of planters. Instead of filling in each of the row units, central-fill functionality means growers will only have to fill the 3,000-litre central seed hopper. Working as a pressurized system, seed is constantly […] Read more
Along with three other owner/operators, Enns manages 10,600 acres of grains near Rosthern, Sask.
Barley, Crops, Features

Making malt barley: six tips for success

Top malt barley growers offer their advice to get your barley crop to make malt


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Barley produced for malting must meet strict quality standards before acceptance by end users. A crop that doesn’t make malt will be sold off as feed, often at considerable economic loss. Two large-scale malt barley producers share their tips on which management practices they employ to ensure their crop makes malt. John Burns is part […] Read more

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