News Canola
OMAFRA releases canola seasonal summary for 2019

Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ (OMAFRA) field crop team released a seasonal summary for Ontario’s canola crop for 2019, covering the planting season, major insects and diseases and quality and yield.

Highlights from the summary include:

• Spring canola acreage in Ontario declined 25 per cent in 2019 compared to the previous year.
• Some producers were unable to plant all their intended canola acres because of cold, wet weather through April and May.
• Export trade instability likely contributed to the reduction in canola acres as well.
• Few if any producers found a planting window in April or early May, so most of the crop was planted toward the end of May or early June.
• Flea beetles were abundant in spring based on numerous reports, and many fields were sprayed.
• While swede midge was present and emerged around the first of June as usual, reports from Bruce, Grey and Dufferin Counties indicated similar or lower pressure compared to last year.
• Cabbage seedpod weevil (CSW) can be a significant challenge in winter canola but was not an issue this year.
• Most of the crop was harvested in September through to mid-October.
• A greater number of fields saw pre-harvest herbicide applications this year to attempt to harvest ahead of forecasted rains.
• There were no reports of poor quality.
• Yields ranged from 1,800 to 3,500 lbs/ac for winter and spring canola.

Read the full canola seasonal summary 2019 here.