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A canola grower snapped this photo from the board at the local elevator. It shows the elevator has heated canola in at least two storage silos. Growers will want to check their bins.
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How to estimate crop profitability in 2025?
Provincial crop calculators can help agronomists and farmers run through profitability scenarios using current input costs and estimated crop prices.
ALBERTA: Try the “Crop returns enterprise analysis tool” here.
SASKATCHEWAN: Try the “Crop planning guide and crop planner” here.
MANITOBA: Try the tools here and watch the 2025 cost of production video with Darren Bond.
Read Agronomy tips to help increase canola profit
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How to manage financial stress?
Merle Massie, executive director at Do More Ag, says finances are a key driver for on-farm stress, which can lead to illness and injury. “The current tariff unknowns, and the expectations for major issues across agriculture both in purchasing and in selling, are driving already high stress levels even higher,” Massie says. Massie shares a few links:
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What cultivars should go on what fields?
Crop planning continues for many farms, including crop choices and cultivar selection. The quiz this issue indicates the importance of disease resistance traits to match the risk in each field. Days to maturity is another common factor, especially in northern Prairie regions. Growers looking for enhanced weed management might consider cultivars with both glyphosate-resistant TruFlex and glufosinate-resistant Liberty Link. With these stacked HT traits, growers can apply at least two “effective” modes of action on the same field – unless the field has glyphosate-resistant weeds, then only one is effective. More on HT traits.
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Can bins heat in cold weather?
The photo at the top of the email suggests canola spoilage is happening somewhere. True, cold grain has much lower storage risk, but grain is also a good insulator. It may still be warm in the middle of the bin. Storage risks. With cold weather, growers could run the fans to cool grain even further. For any bins at higher risk, take out one third of canola and cycle it back into the bin. This breaks up heating spots in the central core and quickly cools any grain that may be at risk. Leave it on the truck overnight to get it extra cold.
Storage for uncertain markets. Growers who anticipate storing canola into the summer months will be interested in a PAMI study. The best action, the study concluded, is to leave the bin alone – especially if the core is very cold.
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Are your electronics updated?
Check now for software and gear updates for machinery electronics. Winter is a good time to recalibrate, run these updates and clean up data collected through the year.
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Disease survey results
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Three questions on canola disease ratings for blackleg, aster yellows and verticillium stripe, with reference to official disease surveys from 2024.
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LAMBDA-CYHALOTHRIN
Health Canada has reinstated the feed use of canola meal from canola treated with lambda-cyhalothrin. This allows for resumed use of the Group 3 insecticide on canola. Products include Matador, Silencer, Labamba, Zivata and Voliam Xpress.
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EVENT:
Two more Top Notch Farming extension meetings in Saskatchewan
–Weyburn, February 11
–Moosomin, February 12
Meetings feature presentations on the latest barley, canola, and flax research and agronomy, global markets, and prairie hydrology. Information and registration (Scroll down the events page to get details for each location.)
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FUNDING:
Sustainable Agriculture Manitoba (SAM) provides funding to farmers and land managers to implement cost-shared beneficial management practices (BMPs) that increase the environmental and economic sustainability of agriculture operations in Manitoba. Deadline is February 11.
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EVENT:
Manitoba Canola Growers AGM – February 11, the day before the CropConnect
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EVENT:
CropConnect Conference – February 12-13 in Winnipeg Information
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EVENT:
Soils & Crops 2025 – March 4 & 5, at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon. The first day offers updates on current research being conducted in the areas of soils, crops and economics by researchers, faculty and graduate students from across western Canada. The second day offers a workshop based on invited presentations designed to provide in-depth training on a variety of topics emphasizing agronomy. Information and registration
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EVENT:
2025 Canadian Crops Convention – March 4-6 at the JW Marriott Edmonton, hosted by the Canola Council of Canada and Canada Grains Council. Network with other industry members, learn from expert speakers and share ideas on how to navigate and collaborate in our complex and ever-changing world. Register by January 15 and you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a 4 pack of Apple AirTags. Find more details on the 2025 Convention and register today at canadiancrops.ca.
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EVENT:
CanoLAB 2025 – save the date.
Manitoba: March 6, Assiniboine College, Brandon
Alberta: March 19, University of Alberta, Edmonton
Saskatchewan: April 9, Saskatoon
–We will have more specifics in the March Canola Watch.
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CANOLA WATCH EXAM
The Canola Watch 2024 annual exam for Certified Crop Advisors and Certified Crop Science Consultants (and anyone else who wants to enhance their agronomy skills) has five sections:
- Water & Nutrition: CCA – 0.5 credit in soil and water management, 0.5 credit in nutrient management; CCSC – 1.0 credit in crop management
- Diseases, Weeds and Insects: CCA – 0.5 credit in integrated pest management (IPM), 0.5 credit in sustainability; CCSC – 1.0 credit in IPM
- Canola Watch Fundamentals: CCA and CCSC – 0.5 credit in IPM, 0.5 credit in crop management
- Agronomy tips from new canola multi-media: CCA and CCSC – 1.0 credit in crop management
- Canola Digest Science 2024: CCA – 0.5 credit in IPM, 0.5 credit in nutrient management; CCSC – 0.5 credit in IPM, 0.5 credit in crop management
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