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National Canola Research Conference 2023

By Angela Dansby

U.S. and Canadian researchers discussed their findings on diseases, integrated pest management, pollinators, climate-smart agriculture, agronomy, plant breeding and genetics related to spring and/or winter canola at the 2023 National Canola Research Conference (NCRC) Oct. 30-31 in St. Louis. Normally held every four years in conjunction with the American Society of Agronomy meetings, the last NCRC was in 2018 and delayed a year due to COVID-19. Here is a snapshot of reported findings by category.

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Unearthing Producer Stress and Solutions to Cope

Adapted from the Do More Agriculture Foundation

Agriculture is an industry that demands tremendous effort, resilienc, and adaptability. Farmers face numerous challenges, both external and internal, which can cause significant stress. Examples include:

  1. Financial uncertainty: Fluctuating commodity prices, market volatility and unpredictable weather contribute to significant financial stress. Farmers face immense pressure to maintain profitability while managing high input costs and factors beyond their control.
  2. Climate change: Farmers must grapple with the adverse effects of climate change, including extreme weather events, longer growing seasons and shifting precipitation patterns. These changes can disrupt crop yields, alter farming practices and intensify anxiety regarding the future of their livelihoods.
  3. Isolation and loneliness: Farming can be isolating, with long hours working alone in rural areas. The lack of social interaction and support networks can contribute to feelings of loneliness and emotional distress, particularly during challenging times.
  4. Workload and time pressure: Producers often work long hours, balancing multiple responsibilities, especially during  planting/seeding and harvesting. The relentless workload and time constraints can lead to physical and mental exhaustion, adding to overall stress.

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Gene Editing Brings New Canola Traits

By Jim Radtke, Ph.D.

Plant breeding has driven the development of canola as an edible oilseed crop. In the 1960s, Canadian breeders took an industrial oilseed crop called rapeseed and selected for an edible oil profile, significantly reducing erucic acid to create “Canadian oil low acid” (canola) with excellent edible oil quality. But they were not done. Further advancements were made to change the crop into high yielding hybrids and the use of biotechnology (integrating foreign DNA) added resistance to herbicides, allowing for better weed control and crop management. Read More »

Weed Control in Canola: Can we Keep up with Weeds?

By Brian Jenks, Ph.D.

It’s now been 24 years since herbicide-tolerant canola was first approved in the United States. The ability to control weeds in canola with post-emergence broadleaf herbicides revolutionized canola production. Prior to 1998, soil-applied herbicides Treflan® and Sonalan® were able to provide decent control for many weeds; however, many canola fields struggled to compete with tough weeds like kochia. With no post-emergence herbicide options other than Stinger®, growers had to save canola for their cleanest fields and hope the crop would outcompete the weeds. Read More »

Straight-Combining vs. Swathing Canola

By Anitha Chirumamilla, Ph.D., and Hans Kandel, Ph.D.

Producers traditionally have swathed rather than straight-combined canola. In recent years, the availability of new pod shatter-resistant varieties has made straight cutting the new trend for canola harvesting. However, both swathing and straight combining have their places based on harvest conditions. Timely straight cutting can save time and money and result in improved canola yields and seed quality (lower harvest moisture, less green seed and higher test weight). Heavier canola stands are better suited for straight combining than thinner stands because of the decreased likelihood of shattering from wind. In the absence of pod shatter tolerance, straight combining has resulted in yield losses of 8 to 54 percent, as reported by the Canola Production Center in Canada. Read More »

Productivity Doesn’t Define Your Worth

By Lesley Kelly, farmer and co-founder of the Do More Agriculture Foundation

Although our societal and cultural norms focus on to-do lists and being busy equates to being productive and provides happiness, this assumption can lead to devastating impacts on our mental health and self-worth.

We’ve learned over time that through hard work, our productivity is associated with who we are, a key factor of what drives our success on the farm and even acceptance. As part of running a successful operation, productivity needs to be a priority. But it shouldn’t be the only priority. In fact, if you google “agriculture” and “productivity,” what comes out of the search is economics, growth, technology, sustainability but nothing to the effects of the person driving the productivity – the farmer. Read More »

March 15 is Deadline to Enroll in USDA’s Commodity Safety Net Programs

Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2022 crop year have until March 15, 2022, to sign a contract. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers these two safety net programs to provide vital income support to farmers experiencing substantial declines in crop prices or revenues. Read More »

The 7 Types of Rest Every Farmer Needs

By Lesley Rae Kelly

Have you ever tried to fix an ongoing lack of energy by getting more sleep — only to do so and still feel exhausted?

If that’s you, here’s the secret: Sleep and rest are not the same thing, although many of us incorrectly confuse the two.

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Small Canola Production in Oregon’s Willamette Valley Yields Big

By Anna Scharf

The Willamette Valley in Oregon encompasses a 150-mile long stretch that runs the lengths of Interstate Highway 5 from Portland to Eugene and east to west from the Cascade Range to the Oregon Coast Range. With numerous waterways and highly fertile soil, this valley is the most agriculturally productive and diversified region of the state. It produces everything from fresh market produce and specialty vegetable seeds to grass and tree seedlings, wine grapes and hazelnuts. Oregon produces over 170 crops statewide and the vast majority of them can be found in the Willamette Valley. Read More »

Organic Canola Production: Challenges and Opportunities for U.S. Farmers

By Brian Caldbeck

Consumer trends in recent years have resulted in retails sales of organic foods in the United States reaching $50 billion in 2020, according to the Organic Trade Association. Despite cooking oils derived from multiple crops, including canola, representing a tiny fraction of these sales, consumer interest in organic canola oil has encouraged the food industry to source organically produced canola from farmers.

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