Canola Watch

Nested association mapping is a tool to identify, with reasonable accuracy, the segments of DNA associated with complex traits – like nutrient use efficiency and drought tolerance. Sally Vail, research scientist and canola breeder with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Saskatoon, describes the highly valuable NAM tool she helped develop for canola breeding.

Host Jay Whetter shares a few highlights from the Canola Digest Science Edition for 2023. Read the whole magazine at canoladigest.ca. Look for "Science Edition 2023" in the Issues column on the left.

What causes yield variability within a field, and which factors are most significant? Taras Lychuk, research scientist in precision agriculture and crop systems at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Brandon, Manitoba, and Alan Moulin, retired soil scientist, share research (ongoing and completed) that will help answer these questions.

Our guest Linda Gorim is an assistant professor and Western Grains Research Foundation chair in cropping systems at the University of Alberta Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Science. Gorim leads a project to screen 160 canola lines to observe differences in photosynthetic efficiency. Before getting to that, the podcast starts with Gorim's long career path to Edmonton, including early ambitions to be a pilot.

Brian Beres, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge, Alberta, shares results from his recent research on seeding rate, cultivar maturity and harvest method and how they stack together for higher canola yields. A summary of the study, including an elegant grid graph of results, will be posted soon at canoladigest.ca. Look for the Beres study in the 2023 Science Edition.

Alex Liu, a PhD student at the University of Saskatchewan, talks to host Jay Whetter about the canola root microbiome and how it relates to phosphorus availability. She has interesting observations about what happens when you remove the microbiome. (Hint: Plant yield drops dramatically!) Here are the Latin names of the microbes Alex mentions, if you want to look them up: Burkholderia, Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Sordariomycetes, Olpidium (Olpidiomycota).

In the first episode of our 2023 Science Series, AAFC research scientist Raju Soolanayakanahally explains the benefit of sulphur for canola heat and drought tolerance and how a Bollywood movie, "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge," inspired him to research canola.

Chris Manchur, Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialist and team lead on sclerotinia stem rot, chats with CCC agronomy director Clint Jurke and host Jay Whetter about advanced sclerotinia stem rot management practices. Hopefully the dry start to 2023 turns around, yield potential picks up and a conversation about sclerotinia stem rot makes sense this year!

Shayla Wourms farms at St. Walburg, in northwest Saskatchewan. In episode seven of the Farmer Series, host Jay Whetter talks with Shayla Wourms about the farm business, rocks, 4-H, and Women in Ag. At the end, Jay asks a random question and Shayla provides an inspiring answer.

Scott Day farms at Dand, Manitoba and is the chief agronomist and a director with Fall Line Capital based in California. In this sixth edition of the farmer series, Scott talks with host Jay Whetter about their shared home town, Scott's job with Fall Line and new technology – especially to improve pest management.

Joel Bokenfohr farms at Morinville, Alberta and is a business advisor with Farm Credit Canada. In this episode of the farmer series, host Jay Whetter talks with Joel Bokenfohr about transition planning on his farm, Joel's goals and the book he's reading, "How will you measure your life?"

Mannville, Alberta farmer Brian Tischler started AgOpenGPS to develop low cost auto-steer for his older John Deere tractor. He now shares do-it-yourself technology tips to farmers around the world though discourse.agopengps.com. Host Jay Whetter talks to Brian Tischler about his robot tractor, variable rate technology and why he says "farming is what I do, it's not who I am."

The farmer series continues with Jackie Dudgeon-MacDonald of Darlingford, Manitoba. Dudgeon-MacDonald talks with host Jay Whetter about imposter syndrome, website design, becoming a commodity organization director and "So you want to be a farmer?"

For this second episode in our farmer series, host Jay Whetter talks with Anthony Eliason who farms near Outlook, Saskatchewan. They talk irrigation, variable rate, Twitter and starting the farm from scratch.

Welcome to the Canola Watch farmer series. In this episode, host Jay Whetter talks with Alberta mixed farmer and farm writer Jill Burkhardt. They talk about writing, farmers markets, Living Labs, straight combining canola and training the next generation.

Do soil tests measure the right nitrogen pool? And do we need to update our tables for nutrient uptake and removal by field crops? University of Saskatchewan researchers Richard Farrell and Fran Walley answer these questions with host Jay Whetter.

Edel Pérez-López is a clubroot researcher and assistant professor at Université Laval. He speaks with host Jay Whetter about the clubroot pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae and challenges it presents for canola plant resistance. Find more about the work at his website, edelabcriv.com. Here's a link to the journal article "The clubroot pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae: A profile update": https://bsppjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mpp.13283

University of Manitoba professor and plant disease specialist Dilantha Fernando talks verticillium stripe with host Jay Whetter. Verticillium stripe is a relatively new disease of canola on the Canadian Prairies. This podcast conversation starts with disease origins and moves on to identification and management.

Christine Noronha, research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Charlottetown, P.E.I., is preparing canola farmers for pollen beetle. The invasive pest, which causes a lot of yield loss in Europe, has been in Atlantic Canada for decades and climate change could make the Prairies more hospitable. Listen to the end when host Jay Whetter asks Christine Noronha about her favourite insect.

Roy Maki leads a project at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology to study synchronous operation of two field machines – one autonomous, one not – working together doing the same job following the same map. Maki describes to host Jay Whetter the field-scale seeding and spraying project, and how one person can run two machines.

What is canola oil? Michael Eskin, University of Manitoba distinguished professor, talks to host Jay Whetter about the fatty acids, including the kinky ones, that make up canola oil. After listening to this podcast, watch Eskin's rap – yes, rap – about fatty acids. https://youtu.be/fTw41CO2qmQ

Host Jay Whetter has three guests to talk about aster leafhoppers and the aster-yellows-causing phytoplasma they (the leafhoppers, not the guests) inject into canola plants. The team of aster yellows researchers are Berenice Romero and Sean Prager from the University of Saskatchewan and Tyler Wist from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – all based in Saskatoon.

Meghan Vankosky, insect researcher with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Saskatoon, talks with host Jay Whetter about her favourite and least favourite insects. Oh, and also about the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network. The network counts on farmers to volunteer land for insect monitoring. Interested Manitoba farmers can email provincial entomologist John Gavloski at john.gavloski@gov.mb.ca. Albertans can email Shelley Barkley at shelley.barkley@gov.ab.ca. Saskatchewanians need to fill in the form here: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/agriculture-natural-resources-and-industry/agribusiness-farmers-and-ranchers/programs-and-services/crops-programs/pest-monitoring

Southern Alberta farmer Kevin Auch talks with host Jay Whetter about stripper headers. Auch says his no-till farming system – which includes harvest with a stripper header that leaves most crop residue standing, and direct seeding into the long stubble with disc drills – has greatly reduced his diesel fuel use. It also reduces soil erosion and improves soil health in his drier and windier part of the Prairies.

Sprayer expert Tom Wolf of agrimetrix.ca and sprayers101.com talks with host Jay Whetter about his latest study, "Characterizing Turbulent Spray Deposition from Self-Propelled Sprayers." You can find the full report in the Research section at saskcanola.com.

Charles Geddes and Shaun Sharpe, two research scientists with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, talk with host Jay Whetter about weed surveys, glyphosate-resistant weeds on the Canadian Prairies, and integrated weed management (IWM).

This podcast is based on the final webinar in the Canola Watch 2021-22 series, recorded live on April 13. The topic is "Make every plant count: Practical tips to maximize your plant stand". Guests are Kris Cherewyk with Väderstad, Rob MacDonald with BASF and Jason Casselman with the Canola Council of Canada.

The podcast topic is adapting canola nutrient management to maximize potential. Recordings are from the fifth edition of the Canola Watch 2021-22 Webinar series. Our guests are Warren Ward with the Canola Council of Canada, Karen Dow with FCL, Curtis de Gooijer with Bourgault and Steve Barron with Double Diamond Farm Supply. If this podcast isn't quite enough for you, watch all segments of the webinar, including slides, at youtube.com/canolacouncil.

Saskatchewan farmer Kristjan Hebert talks to host Jay Whetter about being named a Corteva Climate Positive Leader, and the practices he follows to increase the return on investment for fertilizer, reduce nitrogen losses, improve soil health, and more.

Recordings for this podcast are from the fourth edition of the Canola Watch Webinar series. In this podcast, we talk herbicide resistance management, herbicide tips for dry conditions and "keeping it clean". Our guests are Rob Gulden from the University of Manitoba, Kim Brown-Livingston from Manitoba Agriculture and Rural Development, and Ian Epp from the Canola Council of Canada.

Michael Harding, crop health assurance lead with Alberta Agriculture, talks with host Jay Whetter about "Fungicide IQ". Primary factors in effective disease management include identifying the pathogen, predicting the risk to yield, and applying fungicide – if needed – on time and according to the label. But what about fungicide half life? Left over fungicide? Listen to find out.

Susan Boyetchko and Tim Dumonceaux, research scientists with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Saskatoon, talk with host Jay Whetter about plants and microbes, and how we can use the massive microbe community to help in crop production.

Canola Watch hosts a six-part webinar series through the winter of 2021-22. This podcast is based on webinar three, "Messy Fields to Bigger Yields:  Entomology research on pest and beneficial insects in canola", recorded live on January 13. Presenters are Paul Galpern, Hector Carcamo and Sean Prager, with a special guest appearance by Keith Gabert. Webinar recordings with slides are available at youtube.com/canolacouncil.

Canola Watch hosts a six-part webinar series through the winter of 2021-22. This podcast is based on webinar two, "Maximizing Hybrid Potential: Targeting Traits to Improve Yield and Consistency", recorded live on December 13. Presenters are Brittany Visscher, Clinton Jurke, Errin Willenborg and Nicolea Dow. Webinar recordings with slides are available at youtube.com/canolacouncil.

Canola Watch hosts a six-part webinar series through the winter of 2021-22. This podcast is based on webinar one, "Genetics, Environment, and Management: Finding Room for Improvement", recorded live on November 24. Presenters are Paul Bullock, Nate Ort and Keith Fournier. Webinar recordings with slides are available at youtube.com/canolacouncil.

Herbicide carryover risk for 2022 crops is getting a lot of buzz this fall after dry conditions in the summer of 2021 reduced normal herbicide breakdown. Content for this podcast comes from an interview with Clark Brenzil, provincial specialist in weed control with the Government of Saskatchewan. Interviewers were Kaeley Kindrachuk with SaskCanola, Haley Tetreault with SaskWheat and Sarah Anderson with Saskatchewan Pulse Growers.

This podcast is from a Manitoba Canola Growers webinar called "Make every seed count", which you can view at canolagrowers.com. Shawn Senko, CCC agronomy specialist, and Marcel Kringe with Bushel Plus explain how to reduce combine losses. Jay Whetter hosts.

Citizen Science comes to canola! Through Canola Counts, the new crowd-sourced survey, the CCC is collecting canola plant densities and emergence rates from fields across the Prairies. In this podcast, Canola Counts lead Autumn Barnes talks to host Jay Whetter about the program and how to participate. See more at canolacounts.ca.

This podcast recording is from a Manitoba Canola Growers webinar from May 27, 2021. Guests are Tom Wolf, a spray application specialist and partner at Agrimetrix Research & Training, and Ian Epp, an agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada. Jay Whetter hosts.

Manitoba Canola Growers hosted a flea beetle webinar on April 8, 2021. This podcast is from that webinar recording. Guests are Manitoba Agriculture entomologist John Gavloski, University of Manitoba flea beetle research Alejandro Costamagna, Saskatchewan agronomist Larry Durand and CCC agronomy specialists Keith Gabert and Autumn Barnes.

Canola Watch podcast host Jay Whetter moderated a live panel on 4R nutrient management at Canola Discovery Forum on December 2, 2020. This podcast is based on the recording of that panel discussion. Guests are Lyle Cowell with Nutrien in Saskatchewan, Mario Tenuta with the University of Manitoba, Dean Nelson, who farms in Alberta, and Adam Gurr, who farms in Manitoba.

Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialist Ian Epp and Alberta farmer Melissa Damiani help host Jay Whetter describe timely tips to produce a clean canola crop for export. Find all the tips at keepingitclean.ca.

Our guests are Shelley Barkley, insect survey technologist with Alberta Agriculture & Forestry, and James Tansey, provincial insect pest management specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. They joined our Canola Watch conference call this week to enhance our understanding of bertha armyworm risk assessment, scouting and thresholds.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientists Kelly Turkington and Dwayne Hegedus describe sclerotinia stem rot risk factors, spore-detection tools and spray timing. They shared these insights while participating in a Canola Watch conference call with the Canola Council of Canada agronomy team.

Cory Jacob, provincial specialist in oilseed crops for Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, talks with SaskCanola director Keith Fournier about crop rotation, especially as it relates to clubroot managment. Jay Whetter comes in at the end with a description of the six-ingredient clubroot management recipe. Read lots more on this topic at clubroot.ca.

Host Jay Whetter talks with Lyle Cowell, manager of agronomy services with Nutrien, Tom Jensen, soil science and agronomist, and Warren Ward, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, about nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur deficiencies in canola.

Lyle Cowell, manager of agronomy services with Nutrien, Tom Jensen, soil science and agronomist, and Warren Ward, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, talk with host Jay Whetter about 4R nutrient stewardship – and the benefits of getting an official designation. You can read more about the designation under the Nutrient Stewardship tab at fertilizercanada.ca. For more about the canola industry goals, search for “4R” and an infographic called “Canola’s sustainable future” at canoladigest.ca.

Under what circumstances might a Western Canadian canola farmer want to add a post-emergence top-dress of fertilizer? Lyle Cowell, manager of agronomy services with Nutrien, Tom Jensen, soil science and agronomist, and Warren Ward, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, answer that question in this Canola Watch podcast with host Jay Whetter.

Pythium species, Fusarium species and Rhizoctonia solani – the "three amigos" – can cause seed rots, root rots and stem decay on young canola plants. Seed treatments are generally pretty good, but Krista Anderson from Bayer CropScience, Mark Belmonte from University of Manitoba and Autumn Barnes from the CCC explain the factors that can increase risks. They also describe management options (including rotation) that can keep these pathogens of the soil microbiome from rising up.

Jim Tansey, provincial entomologist for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, and Keith Gabert, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada talk with host Jay Whetter about flea beetle behaviours – including how far they travel to find the first canola crops, major differences between striped and crucifer species, and how long the risk can last.

Sanitation of field equipment and scouting gear is an important step to improve clubroot prevention and management. But people are less likely to do the job unless they have a written plan. Mike Harding, plant pathology research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Food, Barb Ziesman, provincial plant disease specialist with Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, and Dan Orchard, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, explain the three levels of clean, and the situations for each.