News
Editorial: keeping up with canola
Canola is one of Canada’s fastest-growing crops, and it’s in high demand for good reason. Canadian-grown canola contributes $26.7 billion to the Canadian economy each year, according to a study conducted by the Canola Council of Canada in 2017.
June 29, 2018 By Stefanie Croley
And as the world learns more about the advantages of canola – including the myriad benefits of canola oil, canola meal and other end-use products – the growth of the Canadian canola industry contributes more than 250,000 jobs (adding up to $11.2 billion in wages) to the Canadian economy as well.
But as you well know, with great power comes great responsibility, and growing such a high-value crop doesn’t come without challenges. Pests, diseases, weather and poor agronomic decisions can have devastating effects on canola yield and quality. Fortunately, fascinating research is taking place in Canada and around the world to keep canola profitable, and we’ve gathered some particularly interesting projects together for this issue of Top Crop Manager Focus On: Canola.
Marcus Samuel, an associate professor at the University of Calgary who’s pictured on the cover of this edition, spoke to Bruce Barker, our western field editor, about his efforts to mitigate green seed in canola – an issue that causes more than $150 million in losses every year. Samuel and his team are working to identify a gene that helps with the problem. You can read more about his research on page 9. We also explore a rotation study, weather impacts on quality, mixing hybrids for better yields and much more.
Our next edition, Focus On: Crop Management, covers an array of topics including tips for improving corn yield, sustainable fertilizer management and subsurface drip irrigation. Watch for it later in July. Until then, happy growing.
