Canola Community Connections

** LAST CHANCE – EVENT TOMORROW **
Combine Clinic for Agronomists is scheduled for the afternoon of August 3, 2023 at the Ag in Motion site (near Langham, just 30 minutes NW of Saskatoon, SK). There will be two sessions: one on understanding a combine and combine adjustments, and another on measuring losses behind the combine. Register today as space is limited

INDUSTRY UPDATE:
The Canadian Grain Commission’s updates to the Official Grain Grading Guide went into effect on Aug 1, 2023. For canola, the updates provide important clarity in assessing dockage. The Guide now clarifies the smallest slotted sieve (0.28) should be used first, and the larger sizes only to clean for grade improvement. The change defines the process, eliminates a degree of subjectivity, and allows for clearer understanding by farmers.

** HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS **
4R Fertilizer Field Day, August 3 @10am in Leduc County, hosted by the Canola Council of Canada, Alberta Canola and Alberta Agrisystems Living Lab. We have two producers working on Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer and Nitrification Inhibitors in the lab this year. Lunch will be provided. Click here to learn more and register.

Manitoba 4R Day – SOLD OUT
August 9, 2023 at 9:00 am at EMILI Innovation Farms at Rutherford Farm in Grosse Isle, MB. Hosted by EMILI Innovation Farms, Canola Council of Canada and Fertilizer Canada, the event will include stations that demonstrate new technologies and address solutions to today’s challenges. It will also feature an innovation farmers market that will provide attendees with the opportunity to learn more about start-ups in the space. Manitoba 4R Day will conclude with a complimentary lunch at 1:00 p.m. For more information, click here.

Canola 4R Advantage Demonstration Tour:
August 15, 2023 at 10:00 am – at IHARF (Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation), Indian Head, Saskatchewan

FREE DISEASE TESTING:
SaskCanola has launched its free disease testing program, which includes testing for clubroot and blackleg as per previous years but now also includes verticillium stripe. More information is available here.

DISEASE REPORTING AND TRACKING:
The Prairie Crop Disease Monitoring Network has updated their Quick Disease Reporter Tool to make it easier to use. Reporting is now done on a municipality basis across the Prairie region with no need to submit field-specific information. More information is available here. Please participate! The success of this tool is dependent on participation: more reporting allows better information and more timely action for all.  

NEW RESOURCE: The Keep it Clean – Pre-Harvest Tips & Tools Webinar was held August 1, 2023. A recording of the webinar is available here. Topics covered included proper staging for pre-harvest glyphosate application, the importance of following pre-harvest intervals for crop protection products and scouting for disease.

UPCOMING EVENT – ALBERTA:
#ABBugChat is live on Twitter Wednesdays at 10:00am (MST) throughout the growing season.

ACCESS TO PEACE RIVER FIELDS REQUESTED: Once again, the Beaverlodge Research Farm IPM Team will be conducting its annual Canola Survey. This is the 20th year of the survey, which collects insect pest data and aims to detect the introduction of cabbage seedpod weevil in the Peace River region. The research team needs permission to access 100-200 commercial canola fields in early- to mid-flower stages across all main canola production areas of the Peace River region. For more information and to offer permission for field entry, contact shelby.dufton@canada.ca.

INCENTIVE: As the Canola 4R Advantage Program enters year two, growers will have access to more cost-sharing opportunities. Funding limits for each of the four BMPs will increase from $6,000 per BMP per farm to $20,000 per BMP per farm. For more on these and other changes, watch this 12-minute webinar. Read Canola 4R Advantage year two: New incentives added. 

SURVEY – Should SaskCanola & SaskFlax amalgamate? Have your say here. The online consultation runs July 1 – Nov 17, 2023.

SURVEY – CSPW Survey: The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture is looking for canola fields in southwest Saskatchewan for the cabbage seedpod weevil survey. Interested producers can email Faith Hillsden to sign up.

SURVEY – NEW LINK: Canola storage survey: The University of Manitoba is conducting a Canola Drying survey to inform research projects for canola growers on grain drying and storage. The 19-question survey can be done in as little as 10 minutes and all responses collected will be anonymous. Aggregated results will be published in a farm journal. The survey is available here. 

SURVEY: Cover Cropping on the Canadian Prairies Survey. Masters student Jodi Holzman is surveying farmers with cover crop experience to collect production methods on growing cover crops on the Canadian Prairies. General results and best practices gathered will be made available to producers. The survey will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Click here to access the survey. Please read the preamble before starting.

SUPPORT: Are you or is someone you know feeling burnt out, unreasonably stressed or exhausted? Help is available.
– Support lines by province 
– Do More Ag Foundation
– Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program

SAFETY: Think safety first. Farm safety resources are available from the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association.