Lygus bugs: know when to spray them

Lygus bugs: know when to spray them

Researchers are revisiting economic threshold recommendations on spraying these bugs

[UPDATED: Jan. 31, 2018] Economic thresholds are developed and publicized so farmers will know when it makes sense to spray for a particular pest. For example, the economic threshold might be that if you have two bugs in your sweep net, the yield you gain will make it worth your costs and time to spray […] Read more

Rob Saik says he is pleased with farmer participation in the Canola 100 challenge, and impressed with decent yields despite adverse growing conditions.

Drumroll for the 2017 Canola 100 challenge results

Results of the second year of the contest to find a 100-bushel canola yield to be announced this week

Is the “green” going home this year? That’s the question that will be answered this first week of December as the results of the 2017 Canola 100 challenge are revealed at the Agri-Trend Agrology Farm Forum conference in Calgary. This is the second year of the three-year Canola 100 contest challenging canola growers from across […] Read more


For all three setups, Chad Bown had the heater between the fan and the bin. This fan-heater-bin sequence is recommended for canola.

Turn up the heat on aeration fans when drying canola

Some growers grappling with a late harvest and high-moisture crops in 2016 added supplemental heaters to their aeration fans. This grower’s experience may inspire an upgrade to aeration setups for 2017

Things were a little off with Harvest 2016 and Chad Bown was desperate. The farmer from Ranfurly, Alta., was combining 14 per cent moisture canola in late November after a month or more of snow delays. Delivery locations were full, so on-farm storage was his only option. But aeration fans blowing cool air could not […] Read more

Maintaining canola quality in grain bags

Maintaining canola quality in grain bags

Canola acreage is up. Will you need to store some of your harvest in grain bags? Keep the quality high

Researchers from the University of Manitoba have recently published two studies on how canola fares when stored in grain bags for different periods of time. The research was done under Prairie weather conditions, funded by the Canola Council of Canada. Grain bags, sometimes called silo bags, are marketed as temporary storage solutions for farmers who […] Read more


Group 2 (Odyssey) injuries in canola on display at CanoLAB 17 in Vermilion. Staff mimicked a drift injury in the greenhouse. Herbicide injury symptoms, 
such as purpling and thickened stems, can mimic other issues.

Diagnosing herbicide injury

Application can go wrong. Know how to limit and recognize herbicide injury

When it comes to diagnosing potential herbicide injury, record keeping is vital, say Canola Council of Canada agronomists. “With soil residual herbicides, herbicide history is really important,” says Ian Epp, agronomy specialist with the Council for northwestern Saskatchewan. Because soil residual herbicides are often applied the previous year, good record keeping is important, he adds. Last […] Read more

Be ready to scout and control flea beetles

Be ready to scout and control flea beetles

Flea beetles move fast and do a lot of damage. Be sure to keep ahead of them in your canola crops

Flea beetles are easily the most chronically damaging insect pest in western Canadian canola. Damage results in yield losses estimated at $300 million each year. To limit damage, experts recommend acting early when an average level of defoliation level of 25 per cent or more is reached. Early action necessary According to Greg Sekulic, an […] Read more


Play it safe with pre-harvest glyphosate

Play it safe with pre-harvest glyphosate

Follow the label and consult grain buyers for guidelines

When it comes to pre-harvest perennial weed control, Prairie farmers need to play it safe this fall. As of this year, grain from crops treated with glyphosate might have market access concerns, according to the Keeping it Clean program, a joint initiative of the Canola Council of Canada, Cereals Canada and Pulse Canada. “Glyphosate residues […] Read more

Amara beetles hunt and chew on cutworms at CanoLAB in Vermilion. Amara beetles belong to the 
Carabid family.

Increasing yields with natural landscapes

Researchers say maintaining some natural habitat next to your fields can bring yield increases

Researchers are looking at how natural landscapes can bump yield in nearby canola fields in Alberta, and they want your yield data. Previous research, done at various locations around the world, has shown that native habitat bestows yield gains and cuts insecticide applications on neighbouring farmland, says Gregory Sekulic, agronomist with the Canola Council of […] Read more


Red-backed cutworms.

Scout early for best cutworm control in canola crops

Cutworms may be poised to damage the 2017 canola crop. Be on the lookout for them

Last year, higher than normal cutworm feeding was reported in several locations in major canola-growing regions. Cutworms have the potential to do incredible damage in canola crops. There are five economically significant cutworm species in the Prairies: the pale western, redbacked, army, darksided and dingy cutworm. The first two are the most predominant species. Pale western is […] Read more

Lining up the beneficial beetles from an insect trap. These are melanarius beetles, which belong to the carabid, or ground beetle, family. 
Ground beetles prey on pest insects. 


Want to know which bugs are in your field? Try traps

Trapping beneficial beetles can help you see just what’s living on your land

Wondering what types of beneficial insects you have beetling around your fields? Try a ground trap. “It’s nice to know that you’ve got some good guys in there that are eating the bad guys,” said Patty Reid, a research tech with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. There isn’t an economic threshold for beneficial insects such as […] Read more