Welcome Wendy McDonald! MPSG’s new Production Agronomist – West

Apr 29, 2025

Wendy McDonald happily joined the Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers team as their Production Agronomist – West at the beginning of April 2025. She will be providing agronomic support to Western Manitoba pulse and soybean producers, by integrating research results into pulse and soybean agronomy recommendations, participating in crop health surveillance initiatives and agronomic extension events.

Wendy has been working with Western Manitoba farmers, as an agronomist for 25 years, at Ag retail locations in Basswood, Glossop, and Gilbert Plains, and independent crop consulting in the Parkland area. Wendy grew up, as part of the 5th generation, on a mixed farm, near Gladstone and attended the University of Manitoba. Wendy is a Professional Agrologist and a Certified Crop Adviser with a Nutrient Management Specialist designation. Wendy resides at Gilbert Plains with her favorite farmer; her husband Brian, and has 2 daughters, KC and Connelly. Wendy loves to volunteer and be a cheerleader for Agriculture and has served on the Agrologist Manitoba and Prairie Certified Crop Adviser Boards. Wendy was deeply honored to be awarded as the 2019 Certified Crop Advisor of the Year for the Prairie Region, and the 2020 Agronomist of the Year from the Canadian Association of Agri Retailers.

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Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.