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Poll: Most canola growers use three-year rotation

Sept. 16, 2013, Mississauga, ON - Most western Canadian growers are not following the industry best practice of growing canola once every four years in a rotation with other crops, according to a news release from BASF.

According to a poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of BASF Canada Inc., only one in three growers from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba follows this recommendation, while most push growing canola to once every three years (44 per cent), two years (25 per cent) or every year (one per cent).

The online poll of 401 wheat and canola growers in Western Canada was conducted late last year.

Among those farmers who do rotate their systems, the poll found the primary reasons are they want to use different modes of action to manage weed resistance (89 per cent); to control volunteer canola (82 per cent); blackleg management (67 per cent); and to get higher quality samples (61 per cent).

But what the poll found was four in 10 (41 per cent) said they don't switch the herbicide-tolerant system they use for their canola crop. And, among those who do, there was no consensus on the frequency of doing so.

September 16, 2013  By Top Crop Manager