(Dave Bedard photo)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola watching U.S./China spat

CNS Canada — ICE Futures Canada canola contracts moved steadily higher over the past week as grain markets reacted to a mounting trade dispute between China and the U.S. While no sanctions are yet in place, the back-and-forth sabre-rattling between the two countries now includes proposed Chinese tariffs on U.S. soybeans, which weighed heavily on […] Read more

blackleg in canola

New labels for blackleg resistance

New “groups” for blackleg resistance on some canola seed this spring

Agronomists agree the best way to control blackleg in canola is rotation — only growing canola once every three years, at most. Besides rotations, scouting and fungicide can help in the fight against blackleg. And, last spring a new item was added to the list of blackleg-fighting tools: a new labelling system. This season, you’ll see some new letters on some of your seed […] Read more


This canola is at the rosette stage. The photo was taken on June 23 near Indian Head, Sask.

Are you limiting your canola’s potential?

First, choose a yield target. Then figure out how you can get your crop there

Fertility is the first thing that usually comes to mind when thinking about canola yield targets, but should it be? Deciding how you’re going to get there when you don’t know where you’re going is like putting the cart before the horse. Warren Ward, agronomist with the Canola Council of Canada, says growers need to […] Read more

Photo: Thinkstock

Growing canola in a dry year

With last year’s dry weather and predictions that this year will be similar across much of the Prairies, there’s concern that this might not be the best year for canola. With moisture levels are already low, and coming out of a year where crops did well by using what was available in the soil profile, […] Read more



Darren Feitsma near Ponoka, Alta., seeding canola with precision planters.

Planter precision pays off for canola

Planters produce vigorous canola stands, and in some trials, higher economic returns

Darren Feitsma says using a precision planter for canola is producing a very uniform, robust crop stand on his central Alberta farm. His seeding rate is about half of what he might use with an air seeding system, yet with higher seed emergence rates and good nutrient uptake, yields are comparable. He has found over […] Read more





Blooming rapeseed field at sunset

New phosphorus research for canola on the way

Canola removes more phosphorus from the ground than the recommended safe rate


*[UPDATED MAR. 19, 2018] Farmers face a fertilizer dilemma each spring. The current safe rate for phosphorus in canola is 17 to 22 kilograms per hectare (15.2 to 19.6 pounds per acre). With good moisture, the recommendation goes up to 28 kg/ha (or 25.0 lb./ac.). But canola typically removes more phosphorus than the recommended safe […] Read more