Matt Kolkman is flabbergasted that he won the Ontario Canola Grower’s 2024 winter canola challenge. Considering his first season was a comedy of errors with a punishing learning curve, Kolkman’s harvest was a Hollywood ending with a 5,066 pounds per acre yield growing Mercedes. “I was just shooting from the hip the whole way through. […] Read more
Tag Archives winter canola
First time lucky for Ontario’s top winter canola grower
Winners of the 2024 Ontario Canola Challenge share their growing practices
Bunge-Viterra deal ‘effectively ends competition’ says NFU
Feds’ conditions not near enough to alleviate concerns
The National Farmers Union denounced the approval of the Bunge-Viterra merger in a statement released on Jan. 17. The NFU said the multi-billion dollar deal “effectively ends competition in Canada’s agricultural commodity sector,” as it creates the world’s largest agricultural commodity trader, and it will control 40 per cent of the Canadian grain market.
Crop Report: The good, the bad and the difficult
OMAFRA Field Crop Report for the week of June 20
Crop growth and conditions continue to be variable across the province. While crops look good in areas that were able to be planted either early or as per normal and into decent soil conditions, other areas have been delayed significantly by continued rainfall. Understandably, this has been a difficult time for those growers. There is […] Read more
Australia wraps up winter wheat/canola harvest
Production beats earlier forecasts, but are still down on the year
Australia’s winter harvest has wrapped up, with wheat and canola production beating earlier forecasts but still down on the year, according to the latest crop report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES).
Ontario grew more winter canola in 2023
Overall outlook sees high demand and strong prices heading into 2024
“Overall, it’s been a good year for canola.” That was a comment from Michael Smyth, senior industry specialist with Agricorp, during a Nov. 30 presentation at the industry meeting hosted by the Ontario Canola Growers Association. Smyth’s comments reflected the optimism that carried through much of the 2023 growing season, which saw high demand, strong […] Read more
Fuel makers look to winter canola for carbon neutral goals
New U.S. partnership aims to expand double-cropping acreage
Low-carbon fuel standards and other climate change-related government policy initiatives, along with a recent initiative to grow more winter canola for biofuel production, could see more winter canola grown in Ontario. North American energy companies are eyeing ways to reduce the long-term carbon footprint of what they sell. A recently-announced U.S. collaboration could benefit southern […] Read more
Establishing winter canola
Look at herbicide history, soil type and planting date to get canola growing well
Winter canola seed sales have been strong and Ontario acres in 2020 are expected to be higher than ever before. Why it matters: While research on the crop has been limited, some recommendations are available, based on experience of the past few years and with spring canola in Ontario. Field selection Fields should have good […] Read more
Winter canola tops Ontario Canola Growers yield challenge
A winter canola grower has won the yearly yield challenge put on by the Ontario Canola Growers. Nathan Van Overloop, who grew the Popular winter canola variety, had a yield of 4199 pounds per acre at his farm near Chatham. Winter canola has been tried over the past couple of years by growers in the […] Read more
Winter canola requires herbicide vigilance
Limited varieties are sensitive to herbicide carryover
Producers interested in growing winter canola should consider the herbicide history of their field, and the herbicide options open to them following winter wheat harvest. There are a number of restrictions, and some herbicide labels do not mention safety on canola. Only one winter canola variety is registered in Ontario and available to producers. It […] Read more
How did winter canola do in Ontario in 2019?
There were decent overall harvests despite unfavourable fall and spring conditions
The weather may have been tough during the end of 2018 and the first half of 2019, but that didn’t stop some Ontario farmers from growing a decent winter canola crop. Particularly for those in Essex and Chatham-Kent, this year’s winter canola proved fairly resilient. Why it matters: While not widespread, both winter and spring […] Read more
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