Integrated Pest Management

Biocontrol option for cabbage seedpod weevil

Parasitoid wasp T. perfectus demonstrated high levels of parasitism of cabbage seedpod weevil in Ontario and Quebec with minimum spill over into non-cultivated habitats. The insect did not appear to pose a major risk in the Prairies, suggesting it could work as a biological control option in Western Canada. “Feasibility of using Trichomalus perfectus for...
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Integrated Pest Management

Researchers measure the effect of non-crop spaces

Keeping non-crop beneficial insect reservoirs – such as grass margins, treed areas, wetlands, and shelterbelts – near fields can help canola producers contribute to sustainability objectives while having a minimal (and possibly positive) impact on profitability and productivity. “Surveillance Networks for Beneficial Insects II: quantifying the canola yield effect of wetlands, shelterbelts and other insect...
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Harvest and Storage

More plants equal more consistent yield

In general, seeding rates of 120 and 180 seeds per square metre, which achieve 56 and 80 plants per square metre (five to eight plants per square foot), respectively, provided higher and more stable canola yield relative to the seeding rate of 60 seeds per square metre. “Manipulating agronomic factors for optimum canola harvest timing,...
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Harvest and Storage

Manual versus auto adjust to reduce combine loss

Both manual adjustments and auto-adjusting features can reduce harvest losses in canola. Auto-adjusting can respond to changing environmental conditions, but should still be calibrated and ground-truthed regularly to reduce losses and optimize yield. “Quantifying combine auto-adjusting capabilities in canola,” Charley Sprenger, Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute SaskCanola, Western Grains Research Foundation Read the full report on...
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Genetics

New clues to sclerotinia stem rot resistance

Science Edition: Genetics
Researchers discover Resistance: Avirulence protein interactions between the S. sclerotiorum pathogen and canola plants. These interactions open the door to effector-guided breeding where one can select or engineer lines that no longer produce the corresponding necrosis-inducing protein receptor and are, therefore, immune to its effect. “Resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum effectors in canola,” Dwayne Hegedus, Agriculture...
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