Canola watch provides timely information to growers

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

The latest Crop Report from Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food estimates that acreage seeded to canola in the province will increase by six per cent this year over 2006.

With canola production expected to rise, a tool that can provide weekly updates and timely information on crop issues could be a big help to producers, researchers and other stakeholders associated with the industry.

The Canola Agronomy Network is once again distributing its “Canola Watch” reports for the 2007 growing season. Reports will begin in early May.

The electronic updates are e-mailed at no charge to anyone interested in tracking the progress of the prairie canola crop. Recipients simply need to sign up for the service.

David Vanthuyne, the Canola Council of Canada’s agronomist for eastern Saskatchewan, says the service has been very popular since its inception. “Our weekly reports over the past four seasons have been extremely successful in relaying key agronomic issues to all segments of the canola industry,” he stated.

The Canola Watch reports provide details of what is happening out in the field, and also relay information to identify and deal with issues as they arise, such as the bertha army worm infestations that occurred during July and August in 2006.

“It’s related to everything from insect outbreaks to problems occurring with stand establishment – anything related to canola agronomics will get brought forward. Then we, in turn, either offer solutions or identify sources where growers can go for more information,” Vanthuyne explained.

Vanthuyne says this proactive approach will continue to help many growers and industry agronomists stay on top of canola crop management. “The whole idea behind Canola Watch was to gather information from a wide range of sources related to canola agronomics, and bring it to growers as quickly as we possibly could.”

The Canola Agronomy Network includes more than 20 agronomists and prairie extension specialists, plus growers and industry retailers, who take part in weekly conference calls from late April to early September. Based on those discussions, they prepare the weekly Canola Watch updates.

The reports are then e-mailed to a growing list of over 1,000 industry professionals and producers each week.

“Our number one focus is to provide canola growers and the people who advise them with in-season, just-in-time information,” said John Mayko, chair of the Network and Senior Agronomist for the Canola Council of Canada.

“We are very pleased with the continued response and enthusiasm of the people who have come on board.”

Producers and other canola industry stakeholders wishing to add their names to the Canola Watch distribution list can sign up on the Canola Council’s website at www.canola-council.org, send an e-mail to admin@canola-council.org, or call the agency’s head office at (204) 982-2100.

The weekly reports are also available online at www.canola-council.org/growing_watchreports.html.

For more information, contact:
David Vanthuyne, Agronomist
Canola Council of Canada
Phone: (306) 782-7799

John Mayko, Chair
Canola Advisory Network
Phone: (780) 764-2593