
Author Archives

Blackleg management and agronomy
Agronomy tips... from the field
Three main tools go into a successful blackleg management strategy in canola: seed genetics, seed treatment and foliar fungicides. Blackleg genetics, along with seed treatments, can help you get into the season and established while protecting seedlings from blackleg for the first few weeks after seeding. At the two- to six-leaf stage, consider using a […] Read more

Consider trials and disease when choosing canola
Agronomy tips... from the field
This past season brought an increase in canola disease infection levels across the Prairies. That means there’s a lot of disease inoculum sitting in your fields that will be there when you plant your next crop. Plus, we know that blackleg and clubroot are also shifting to overcome older genetics. How does this impact your […] Read more

Be ready for canola harvest
Agronomy tips... from the field
When planning your canola harvest this season, remember that it’s never a bad idea to seed hybrids with a mix of maturity timings. This will allow you to space out your harvest timing as fields are coming ready. From a risk management standpoint, those different-maturity varieties will not be at the same susceptible growth stages […] Read more

Think of disease when choosing canola seed
Agronomy tips... from the field
We all know that top-end yield is ultimately what drives canola seed selections, because that’s what pays your bills. That’s why I’d encourage you to look at last year’s Canola Performance Trials, provincial seed guides and any public trials to get the fullest picture of how a hybrid has performed. Look at several years of […] Read more

The low-down on new canola hybrids
When making your seed buying decision for 2016, do your homework and check out the latest canola performance data and look at a variety’s entire agronomic package on top of the yield numbers. For my money, your best source is going to be the CPT (Canola Performance Trials), available online and through provincial seed guides, and […] Read more

Three factors when choosing the right canola
For most growers, canola yield pays the bills. So it’s important to get things right and look beyond last year’s yield data to get a complete picture of a variety. Here are the top three factors I look for when reading my provincial canola guide. First is yield stability. It’s an indication of how well […] Read more
Grainews is written for farmers and often by farmers. It is about putting theory into practice on the farm. Each issue also features Cattleman’s Corner for cow-calf producers and farmers with mixed cattle and grain operations.