Science

Take care of beneficial insects

Bees and other pollinators are most active when the crop is flowering. Avoid spraying insecticide on flowering canola. If this is unavoidable, apply products to flowering canola after 8:00 p.m. until dusk, or into night, when bees aren’t actively foraging. Follow thresholds when making spray decisions. For more information, go to www.canolawatch.org and search for the article “Bee BMPs.”

Key practice: Use insecticides judiciously and employ strategies that may increase populations of some beneficial insects and reduce mortality of some parasitoids. These strategies include reducing tillage, leaving tall stubble to improve overwinter survival and intercropping. Key research: Dosdall, Lloyd, University of Alberta. “Improved Integrated Crop Management with Beneficial Insects.” Canola Digest Science Edition (2013)....

Feature

Toward genetic gain of eight bushels per acre

The Canola Council of Canada’s Keep It Coming strategic plan targets an average yield of 52 bu./ac. across the Prairies by 2025. This is an 18 bu./ac. increase over the average yield at the time the plan launched. Of that, 10 bu./ac. will come as a result of agronomic improvement through the four categories outlined in this magazine. The other 8 bu./ac. will come from genetics. This article summarizes the seed industry’s perspective on their target and how it could be achieved.

Science

Ensure all crop inputs are working together

Key practice: Recommended fertilizer rates and seeding rates that provide for a competitive stand will make canola more resilient against weeds, insect damage and disease. Key research: Brandt, S.A., Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), et al. “Seeding Rate, Fertilizer Level and Disease Management Effects on Hybrid Versus Open Pollinated Canola (Brassica napus L.).” Effective pest...