Canola Yearbook 2023

Every crop year has its own story, which is what this Canola Yearbook is designed to tell. Journalists from The Western Producer and Glacier FarmMedia have gathered and summarized the most important canola-related stories from the past year. We hope that this yearbook serves as a reminder of the state of the industry in 2023. Thank you to the farmers and industry representatives that sent in photos of their 2023 canola crops.

We’d love to hear from you.

Photo: Robin Booker
By Robin Booker ●

Decent yields in dry times
By Saskatoon newsroom

Canola views – photo essay

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Photo: Robin Booker
By Bruce Burnett - Analysis ●

Canola growing season in review
Hot weather increases evaporation and heat-stressed plants absorb herbicides slowly, but inversions are common when the sun is down. Photo taken near Russell Man. by Mark Laycock. @LaycockMark
By Doug Ferguson ●

Spraying in dry times can be tricky
University of Saskatchewan graduate student Kaylie Krys pilots a drone over a Saskatchewan field. She and colleague Erik Andvaag have developed proof-of-concept of a method to rapidly scout fields for canola germination and presence of weeds. Photo: Chris Hendrickson/University of Saskatchewan
By Michael Robin ●

Flying the fields
Keith Gabert of Canola Council of Canada sweeps a canola field just before giving a talk on canola during the Battle River Research Group’s field day. Photo: Mary MacArthur
By Doug Ferguson ●

Hormone imbalance suspected for malformed racemes
Photo: Robin Booker
By Sean Pratt ●

Incorporating resistant traits weighs on yields
New Holland’s new CR11 combine showcases a significant boost in processing capacity, but with the same weight and width as previous models. Photo: John Greig
By Saskatoon newsroom ●

Production briefs
Striped flea beetles typically become active two weeks earlier than the crucifer flea beetle. This image of striped flea beetles on volunteer canola was taken this spring at an Ag Canada research plot near Saskatoon, Sask. Photo: Tyler Wist
By Robert Arnason ●

Pest roundup: Canola pests kept in check by dry conditions
Verticillium stripe can be identified by stripping away the outer stem tissue or epidermis in a wallpaper-like fashion to search for tiny black microsclerotia. Photo: Courtney Boyachek
By Robert Arnason ●

Disease roundup: Verticillium has breakout year
File photo
By Saskatoon newsroom ●

Canola news briefs
Farm groups representing export commodities including canola say bill C-282 is bad policy. The bill would amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act to protect supply-managed industries and keep them out of future trade negotiations. Photo taken near Ponoka, Alta. by Benjamin Krijger @BenjaminKrijge
By Karen Briere ●

Canola growers scramble to address federal policy issues
Robust demand has easily kept pace with canola production, but there have been unusually severe production problems over the past five years. Photo taken near Radisson, Sask. by Corey Loessin @405farmer
By Ed White ●

What happens when the big crop comes?
Photo taken west of Fillmore, Sask. by Sarah Leguee @SarahLeguee
By Sean Pratt ●

Bids tumble but canola demand is firm