Inside the Canola Research Hub

Launched in January of this year, the Canola Research Hub is designed to translate agronomic research findings into on-farm practices that increase both productivity and profitability. This is a tangible return on the canola industry’s investment in this research through the Canola Council of Canada (CCC), government-backed partnerships and grower check-off dollars paid through their provincial organizations.

Screenshots from the Canola Research Hub

The Canola Research Hub is a vital, first-of-its-kind science-to-farm technology transfer tool, supported by the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) canola research cluster invest-ment under Growing Forward 2 (GF2).
It was developed to meet and evolve with the specific needs of several user audiences:

Canola growers in Western Canada
Crop production influencers (agronomists, specialists, etc.)
Agricultural and rural media
All other aspects of the canola value chain (scientists, seed developers, processors, exporters, scientists, etc.)

The Hub content is drawn from the 31 completed projects under Growing Forward 1 (GF1); from over 15 years of findings under the Canola Agronomic Research Program (CARP); and additional research funded by each of the provincial grower groups. This knowledge base will continue to expand as results become available, such as those from the 16 projects currently in progress under GF2.

For more about navigating the Hub, view a guided-tour tutorial, available from the landing page. Or, anywhere you see ‘?’ click to access the FAQs.

With support from Alberta Canola Producers Commission (ACPC), Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission (SaskCanola) and Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA), the Hub can be found within the CCC’s main web site and accessed directly at www.canolaresearch.ca. From the landing page, users can: navigate through a library of summaries, view and filter research data, watch video interviews and clips, access published resources, download multimedia materials, and keep up to date on science-based industry news and events.

Library of Research Summaries.

Each study is categorized under one of four agronomic research pillars: Plant Establishment, Fertility Management, Integrated Pest Management or Harvest Management. Links are provided where available to full final reports, published papers, and downloadable summary PDFs.

Advanced search functions allow users to find studies based on parameters such as timeframe, principal investigator, organization, or testing location.

Research Database and Tools.

The research database contains a wealth of information that can be analyzed and packaged into dashboards illustrating the science behind particular recommendations. Filtering capabilities allow the user to focus on results that are most relevant to their own conditions and concerns. These dashboards are fully referenced back to each study from which supporting data was pulled.

With these existing capabilities and the opportunities for expansion of both data and tools, the Hub will be a valuable resource towards achieving the industry goal of 52 bu./ac. by 2025.

Events and Links.

This section provides access to relevant online resources, listings of current and upcoming events with links to further information and registration, as well as information and materials from past events.

Media Kit.

The interactive digital media kit provides background information along with the photo and video resources that agricultural and rural media would need to effectively share the key science-based messages.

Research in the News.

Advancements in canola research and the issues they are addressing frequently make the headlines. The Hub provides a comprehensive list of links to these news items within the Media section.

Image and Video Galleries.

A series of video interviews provide direct answers from several researchers on location in their offices, greenhouses and test sites. Web-quality and high-resolution images are also available to download as supplements to users’ own presentations and articles.

Guided Tour.

For more information on navigating the Canola Research Hub, view the short tutorial available on the landing page at www.canolaresearch.ca.

“The Canola Research Hub provides the platform for collaboration between growers, consultants, agronomists and the scientific community,” says Kelly Turkington, researcher with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lacombe, AB. “This facilitates the pairing of scientific knowledge with the expertise of working with the crop to address the industry’s latest hot topics and concerns.”