Scouting fields right up to harvest is key

Aug 25, 2023

The Canola Council of Canada says while it may look alarming flea beetle feeding on canola in late summer is rarely an economic concern.

This week's Canola Watch notes that once the canola plant has moved past the 5.2 growth stage, it becomes resistant to injury from flea beetles.

The newsletter also reminds producers about the importance of scouting before harvest.

Blackleg is one disease that can have a key impact as it can reduce yield and quality and affect the crops' marketing potential.

The optimal time to scout for the disease is just before swathing or around 60% seed colour change.

The Canola Council says when scouting for blackeg producers should pull up at least 50 plants in a W-pattern in the field and clipping at the base of the stem look for blackened tissue.

Any black discoloration seen in the cross-section can be compared to the disease severity scale on their website.

The blackleg disease pathogen overwinters in the soil, so producers will want to look at implementing an integrated blackleg management strategy including a minimum break of two years between canola on that land.

Source : Pembinavalley online

Video: Alberta Honey: A Day at Molenkamp Honey Farms

When was the last time you read the label on your honey?

We spent a day at Molenkamp Honey Farms with Michael Molenkamp, who has been keeping bees for 17 seasons and runs three to four thousand hives. In mid-September, he was finishing treatments and getting his bees ready for winter, and he walked us through how Alberta honey gets made.

Alberta has just 150 commercial beekeepers running 300,000 colonies, and together they produce 40% of Canada’s honey. Long summer days and golden canola fields give Alberta honey a light flavour that’s hard to match anywhere else.

Molenkamp calls Alberta beekeepers some of the most resilient farmers he knows. There’s plenty of Alberta honey to go around, but a lot on our shelves isn’t from here, so his ask is simple. Give the label a second look and choose honey made by Alberta beekeepers, or buy straight from a beekeeper near you.