A map of North Dakota canola production tells an interesting story.
The 2010 map shows that canola is primarily grown in the northern half of the state, with most acres in counties adjacent to the Canadian border.
Yet there is an outlier in a corner of the map. A county in southwestern North Dakota also produces a significant amount of canola, despite hot and dry conditions in the region.
Jon Wert, who farms near New England, N.D., said canola has been a popular crop in Hettinger County for a decade.
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“It’s been very feasible for us, pretty much year in and year out, making money with canola,” said Wert, who grew 3,800 acres of canola this year and is president of the Northern Canola Growers Association.
Farmers in Hettinger County planted 64,000 acres of canola last year, and Wert said acres were likely more than 70,000 this year.
In comparison, the county had 15,000 acres of canola in 2002.
Canola acres expanded in the region because producers were looking for an alternative to spring wheat. Hettinger County had 257,000 acres of spring and durum wheat in 2002, and barley, canola and sunflowers represented only 35,000 acres combined.
“That’s why the canola is taking off because we’re limited with what crops we can (grow) in rotation here,” Wert said. “It just really fits for breaking the disease cycle.”
Canola acres have blossomed, even though producers seed the crop infrequently. Wert has a four year rotation, growing wheat, wheat, wheat and then canola.
“Here, typically, we’re probably four to five years (between canola crops). (If) we were to go to a three year rotation in our county, I’m sure our acres would probably double,” said Wert.
Canola is also becoming popular in neighbouring counties around Hettinger as more producers look for something to grow something besides wheat.
“That’s part of the big increase in the southwest: these surrounding counties are starting to see the benefits (of canola),” Wert said.
“I think there’s still a lot of room for growth.”
North Dakota’s canola industry needs more canola in the southwest because acres have stagnated in the north and northeast.
The state had 4.1 million soybean acres in 2010 and 5.9 million last year. Beans stole most of those acres from spring wheat, but a number of growers near the Canadian border are choosing soy over canola.
“We know down here that soybeans are definitely on the in-crease,” said Brian Jenks, a weed scientist with the North Dakota State University and a canola growers board member.
“They are moving north and moving west. They may potentially replace a lot of canola acres.”
Wert said soybeans aren’t a realistic option in the southwest.
“It’s a pretty risky crop in our area,” he said. “When they need rain to fill the pods, we’re usually getting pretty dry here.”
Barry Coleman, executive director of the Northern Canola Growers Association, said the southwest can be arid but canola is thriving in the region.
“Its very good farmland down there. They can have awfully dry years, but for the last decade they’ve had pretty decent growing weather.”
Wert said his farm receives 430 millimetres of precipitation a year, similar to the central part of North Dakota.
Summers can be hot, but canola growers seed in April to avoid blistering weather in July.
“It can get really warm during flowering, so we always try to get our canola in really early.”
The crop usually flowers in June.
Straight cutting canola has become standard practice in southwestern North Dakota as growers are taking advantage of new varieties with shatter resistance.
“We had about (75 percent) of our crop into that (trait) this year. I think that’s all we’re going to raise next year,” Wert said. “We put in 3,800 acres of canola on our farm. That’s just too many acres to be swathing.”
