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Fresh timely topics at canoLAB 2015

Jan 15, 2015
CanoLAB 2015 explores a new mix of agronomy topics that will appeal to first timers as well as those who attend canoLAB each year.
Topics for 2015:
 
Harvest Management – Cutting Your Losses. Hands on activities looking at various aspects of harvest management, from establishment to assessing combine losses. If you’ve done the best possible job growing your canola crop, why not go one step further and perfect harvest.
 
Breeding in the Bag – Genetics & Seed production. A discussion on seed production, canola variety registration and trait improvements in Canola. What improvements have really gone into the canola we have today? This session will give participants an idea what goes into hybrid canola seed production, and why some traits take breeders decades to improve them.
 
Macro’s & Micro’s – Size Matters. Fine tuning your canola fertility. If N, P,K,S, Ca & Mg are macro nutrients for plant growth, what value is there in the 20-50 numbers and ratios on a soil test? Would a tissue test help? What about ratios and critical levels – what should you know to optimize canola yields?
 
Bees & Beneficial Insects. A lot of insects rely on canola for nectar and habitat. With only a few insects functioning as pests in agriculture – how do we encourage the good bugs in a healthy ecosystem? Can we identify the beneficial insects in our fields?
 
Missing Pods – Where Did They Go? Back by popular demand from canoLAB year 1 – Murray Hartman in year one discussed issues that impact canola yield and influence seed set. Canola produces a lot more flowers than it needs to maximize yield, but what might cause pod set to be well below expectation?
 
Understanding Disease Resistance. How do we identify disease races and pathotypes? What is the difference between a race and pathotype? What are differentials? Why an R rated variety might not be enough information for managing Blackleg or Clubroot? How quickly might the issue of clubroot resistance breakdown become an issue on your farm? Is an R disease rating enough information when selecting a canola variety – probably not – and this session will discuss why.
 
Crushing – Good Grades & Storage. It’s combined, now what? Frozen, weed seeds, green seed, chaff – it all makes it way to the crusher. What impact does seed quality have on storage, meal and oil production?
 
Instructors include: Ag Canada research scientists, Canola Council agronomists and top-notch extension people from government, industry and post-secondary institutions.
 
Dates and locations for the one-day lab are:
 
February 10 or 11 at TCU Place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Click here to register.
 
February 18, 19 or 20 in Olds, Alberta. Click here to register.
 
March 11 or 12 at ACC in Brandon, Manitoba. Registration opens soon.
 
Space is limited to 80-150 attendees each day, divided into small groups to work through hands-on stations. This provides for an ideal learning experience, with lots of opportunity to ask questions of experts and to share ideas and observations with your peers.
 
Source: Alberta Canola Producers Commission