Real Agriculture
The clubroot problem is growing, and it’s not a matter that can be avoided any more. So what has the canola industry at large learned from clubroot? I discussed the clubroot issue with Clint Jurke of the Canola Council of Canada and found a number of things that we’ve learned from the experience. First, we have found that [...]
Are you having trouble looking down the line at the canola markets? You’re not alone. There are a number of sources sending mixed signals to producers. On one hand when we look at the charts, we see that the January-March futures indicate a strong sell (according to Barchart). On the [...]
Canola is a valuable crop with a growing number of acres planted every year. Getting those big acres off the field sometimes requires an early start when things maybe aren’t quite ready. How you store that canola then becomes a critical issue if you want to keep that crop from spoiling or degrading. There are [...]
Recent reports from the Canola Council of Canada have shown the slow movement of clubroot into previously uninfected areas of Alberta. That information, while concerning, should not really come as a surprise to farmers in the province. Conditions have been optimal for the speed of clubroot in Alberta this year based on the very wet [...]
When we talk about harvest across the prairies, you can’t use a blanket term to cover any one province unless that comment is “variable”. In terms of exactly how much of harvest is done, some areas in the Alberta and Manitoba are finished while areas in the Northern Alberta haven’t even started yet. Yields for [...]
Much has been said about the potential benefits of straight cutting canola. In particular with regards to yield and overall quality, straight cutting has been shown to provide some benefit. There are however some qualifiers attached to those benefits that have to work to avoid a wreck. It would be a disaster to lose your [...]
I have been around canola fields my entire life and when you factor in all of the growing challenges and key points, the most misunderstood is the decision of “when should I swath?” I get more calls to our office during this time of the growing season than any other. Swath timing is incredibly difficult [...]
Demand for canola from crushers has remained strong throughout the summer months, stocks are tight and exports are good. That being said, harvest is just around the corner and a number of questions will be answered regarding actual acres and yield potential. Everyone is aware of the disastourous year that Western Manitoba and Easter Saskatchewan have [...]
Looks can be deceiving when you’re trying to figure out when your canola field is ready to be harvested. This year especially, varied staging in fields is a real issue. According to Jim Bessel, Senior Agronomy Specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, that varied staging will make harvest decisions a real “mindbender”. Bessel says [...]
For a lot of farmers across the west, figuring out when to swath their canola fields may be as stressful as trying to get it in the ground was. The overabundance of moisture and the cool temperatures that producers had to deal with at the beginning of the season have caused varied staging in areas [...]
