Fundamentals

These Fundamental articles represent our core canola “best management practices” for yield, profitability and sustainability. These articles are more detailed than our usual articles, and explain the science and experience behind the recommended practices. Content will be closely aligned with our sister sources, Canola Encyclopedia and Canola Research Hub, and written in the Canola Watch style.

Plant Establishment

Target 5 to 8 plants per square foot
The canola plant population target of five to eight plants per square foot is a safe target to balance yield…
Spring frost: Did the crop survive?
After a frost, it can take a few days to accurately determine how many plants survived. Be patient.…
Choose the right cultivar for each field
Cultivar decisions based on the opportunities and challenges in each particular field can improve productivity and profitability of canola.…
Agronomy priorities: More canola, more profits, lower emissions 
Work through the checklist of key best practices for each priority to identify which ones are applied on farm and…
10 tips to improve canola yield in dry conditions
Canola growers and agronomists can use these steps to improve canola yield (as much as possible) in dry, drought-like growing…
8 best practices to maximize canola seed survival
Follow these tips to improve emergence percentage so more canola seeds contribute to yield and profitability.…
Seeding canola in dry conditions
When seeding into dry soil conditions from March until mid-May, the recommendation to seed canola no deeper than 1” still…
Broadcast seeding canola: Tips
Broadcast seeding can work in a pinch when the calendar ticks toward June and fields are still too moist for…
How to count canola plants and explain low numbers
Canola plant counts at around the two-leaf stage will demonstrate the success (or not) of the seeding operation.…
Rotation for risk management
Breaks of at least two years between canola crops will reduce risk from clubroot and blackleg diseases, reduce selection for…
Quick tips for on-farm trials
Farms can run research trials to test how a particular practice or product performs in the local environment. Here are…
Many reasons for missing pods
Disruptions and malfunctions in bud formation and pollination can result in blanks on canola stems where pods should be. Here…

Nutrient management

How to get acres counted as 4R
With acres counted under 4R Nutrient Stewardship, canola growers can demonstrate their commitment to improved nutrient use. Part one of…
Soil sampling – timing, technique, interpretation
Soil sampling just prior to seeding is ideal, but fall soil sampling can be almost as accurate and has various…
How much fertilizer does canola need?
A fertilizer program based on yield goals, 4R practices and current soil nutrient levels will improve profitability.…
Right rates for seed-placed fertilizer
The risk of seed-placed fertilizer comes from the nitrogen component of ammonium phosphate, ammonium sulphate and all nitrogen fertilizers.…
Tips to apply nitrogen and sulphur in season
In-season application of nitrogen or sulphur can make sense in some circumstances. This article describes how to do it.…
The path to variable (optimum) rate application
Variable rate (VR) or “optimum” rate application aligns with the potential of productivity zones within each field, ideally increasing profit…

Diseases

Factors in the sclerotinia spray decision
The decision to apply a fungicide to prevent sclerotinia stem rot may hinge on answers to these four questions……
You discover clubroot in a field: Tips
You found clubroot through diligent scouting or you stumbled upon some infected plants. This article explains what to do next.…
Equipment sanitation: Why and how
Sanitation reduces the risk from field equipment spreading major pests across a farm. This article provides sanitation steps.…
Six basics of blackleg management in canola
Blackleg disease is common in canola across the Prairies. Keep blackleg levels low with the following six management steps.…
Choose the right cultivar for each field
Cultivar decisions based on the opportunities and challenges in each particular field can improve productivity and profitability of canola.…
Clubroot – Estimating yield loss
An Alberta study created a formula to estimate yield loss from clubroot. In the field, an average of 0.6 per…
How to identify verticillium stripe
Verticillium stripe, a disease of canola in Canada, causes yield loss in some fields. This article has identification and management…
Agronomy: Accurate diagnosis for effective treatment
Make an accurate diagnosis before taking corrective action. Consider all possibilities and work through a process of elimination.…

Insects

How to assess leaf area loss from flea beetles
The action threshold for flea beetles in canola in Canada is an average leaf area loss of 25 per cent…
Lygus bugs – scouting, timing and thresholds
Sweep net for lygus at late flowering and podding stages. Count adults and late instars. The standard threshold is 20-30…
Flea beetles: Management tips
This article has tips for better canola crop establishment and tips to improve results for in-crop insecticide applications.…
Flea beetles
The flea beetle spray decision: 8 steps
Slow-growing crops under intense flea beetle pressure may require foliar insecticide. Here are 8 steps to make the spray decision.…
Grasshopper management in canola: Thresholds, identification, and control strategies
Grasshoppers, particularly the two-striped, clearwing, migratory and Packard’s species, can pose a significant threat to canola crops on the Canadian…
Cabbage seedpod weevil – scout and control tips
Spraying is rarely recommended before the canola crop reaches 10% flowering stage. Three reasons to wait are….…

Weeds

Pre-seed burnoff: Tips for best results
Pre-seed burnoff is a good way to remove perennial and winter annuals weeds that are growing quickly and taking up…
Spring frost: When to resume weed control?
If tissue damage is greater than 40 per cent of total leaf area, allow new leaves to grow before making…
Spraying tips for tough conditions
Tips for spraying after a frost, in the wind, in cool conditions, in dusty conditions, and before a rain.…
How to manage herbicide-resistant kochia
Manage herbicide-resistant kochia with effective tank mixes, patch mowing, combine weed-seed destroyers and fall Edge.…
Weed control strategies for each HT system
Here are strategies to improve weed control results for each herbicide-tolerant (HT) canola system, including Roundup Ready, Liberty LInk and…
Fall weed control
Fall can be an excellent time for weed control, especially perennials and winter annuals moving resources to their growing points…
Spray early: Economics of early weed control
Early in-crop weed control will yield more than late control almost all the time. To err on the early side…
Integrated weed management: Best practices
Herbicide-resistant (HR) weeds have created management challenges on some farms. Farms relying almost exclusively on herbicides to manage weeds may…
Herbicide carryover and sprayer contamination
Canola plants are sensitive to off-target herbicide damage through herbicide carryover and sprayer contamination. This article has five sections to…

Harvest and Storage

Swath later for higher yield
Canola fields swathed at 60 per cent seed colour change (SCC) on the main stem can yield eight per cent…
Factors that increase canola storage risk
Factors that increase the risk of spoilage for stored canola are high moisture, high temperatures, green seeds and dockage.…
Canola as feed – economics and tips
Canola can be used for cattle feed. This article explains feed value, feed prices and other considerations for feed versus…
Green seed – causes, management and storage risk
Canola seeds can lock in green when frost or high temperatures stop or interrupt the chlorophyll-clearing process.…
How to reduce combine loss
Canola growers can lose a lot of crop if the combine isn’t adjusted properly. This article has tips to measure…
Tips for drying tough and damp canola
Aeration can be enough to dry tough canola to safe storage levels – as long as air has “capacity to…
How to check bins and bags for spoilage
Monitor bins closely during the first six weeks after harvest and then continue to check stored canola regularly until delivery.…
Tips to straight combine canola with success
Ideal canola crops for straight combining, situations where swathing may be preferred, pre-harvest aids, headers, combine settings.…
Harvesting thin, low-yielding canola: common questions
A thin, drought-stressed canola crop – where plants are shorter, canopy is open and yield potential is low – will…
Fall frost hits canola. What to do?
Default to waiting. Don’t make a snap decision to swath. Before taking any harvest action, start with this sequence……
Conditioning tips for stored canola
Cooling hot grain within the first 24 hours is important for safe long-term storage. This also removes moisture that sweats…
Manage residue with the combine alone
Canola establishment benefits from a uniform spread of crop residue. Ideally, you can do the job with the combine alone.…

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