Flea beetles are showing signs of resistance to pyrethroids in Europe, where neonics have been banned for years.

Neonics still best flea beetle option

There’s mounting evidence the European ban has significant unintended consequences, entomologist says

Neonicotinoids used as a seed treatment remain the safest and most effective tool for managing flea beetles, an entomologist says. Neonicotinoids are a widely used class of insecticides available since the 1990s. Concerns about their environmental impact emerged in the early 2000s, when studies showed they caused harm to honeybees and other pollinators. These findings

“The little worm gets inside the root and injects something into the vascular tissue of the plant. This actually changes the biology of those plant cells and they start producing food for the nematode. It’s fascinating.” – Greg Tylka, Iowa State University.

SCN: The new tough guy on the block

Soybean cyst nematode’s survival mechanisms make it difficult to monitor and control

Soybeans arrived in Manitoba in the early 20th century, but it took another 100 years for them to become a major crop. Now, almost two decades into the 21st century, an old enemy from the homeland has finally followed. Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is already a serious pest in the soybean belt of the American Midwest. It is

“Don’t be happy to have one set of resistance genetics available for your farmers. Keep working to develop that second one because that first one will eventually wear out.” – Greg Tylka, Iowa State University.

Tracing roots for a strategy against soybean cyst nematode

How soybean ancestors helped scientists tease out SCN resistance

If there’s an answer to soybean cyst nematode, it may lie in the soybean family tree. Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) has been a tough problem since it first appeared in North America back in the 1950s. It’s a soil-bound pest so it can’t be sprayed. Instead, the solution must be found through biology—finding a weak

“We have a high degree of optimism that we will see canola production grow in North America. Renewable fuels and the demand for renewable fuels is going to grow as well.” – Chris Vervaet.

Renewable diesel demand expected to soar in next two years

Canola production poised to jump as new facilities come on stream in next two years, says processors association

Glacier FarmMedia – Renewable diesel production is poised to take off in the next five years and the coming boom is great news for canola growers, says the Canadian Oilseeds Processors Association. “For canola crush, in terms of possible capacity growth in the years to come, we could see almost six million tonnes of increased

Blackleg at the base of canola stems.

An inoculation against blackleg

University of Manitoba trial shows a less-virulent strain boosts canola’s natural defences

A new biological control strategy could be a game changer in the battle against blackleg in canola. The fungal infection that has a yield-destroying effect on canola crops was first discovered in Saskatchewan in 1975 and eventually spread across the country. Blackleg is the result of the interaction between two closely related fungal species, Leptosphaeria


“With crush capacity building here, farmers are going to be storing more soybeans to ship 12 months out of the year.” – Monte Peterson, Valley City, ND.

New processors to reshape North Dakota’s export-focused soy sector

Additional capacity will change grain production and transportation links in the region

North Dakota’s soybean industry is at the forefront of what could be a once-in-a-generation transformation, with two new processing plants set to open in 2023 and 2024 for biofuel production. U.S. soybean crush capacity may swell by as much as 30 per cent over the next four years, with more than a dozen planned new

Blackleg at the base of canola stems.

Getting a leg up on blackleg

New research finds blackleg populations are more diverse in Manitoba

New genomic research from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC) could give agronomists a leg up in the fight against blackleg in canola. Blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans) is a severe fungal disease of canola plants, and with canola generating about one-quarter of all farm crop receipts in Canada, it is a serious threat to producers. The new research was

“Growers may have reasons to cut early based on frost risk and logistics, but where possible, we’d like to see the target shift to later cutting.” – Shawn Senko.

Cut canola later for higher yield

Canola Council launches campaign to persuade farmers of the benefits of patience

The Canola Council of Canada is encouraging farmers to hold off on harvesting canola to improve yield. Research in the early 2000s showed that canola swathed at 60-70 per cent seed colour change (SCC) yielded 11 per cent more than fields swathed at 30-40 per cent. That research was reinforced in 2013, when the Indian


The Hula Hoop method provides a per-square-foot plant count.

Crowdsourcing canola counts

Results coming in from first year of the Canola Council of Canada’s ‘Canola Counts’ survey

Self-improvement is tricky without looking outward for perspective. A program launched last year by the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) aims to give canola growers that perspective on a massive scale. The CCC’s ‘Canola Counts’ survey is now into its second year and the data coming in is already providing good insights for agronomists, says

Agronomists urge growers to do their due diligence before re-seeding and to pay close attention to plant stand counts.

Crusted soil hampers canola emergence

Short supplies of canola seed causing issues for some reseeding farmers

Some farmers are seeding canola all over again as crusting kept the crop from emerging the first time. “It was so fun the first time we’re going to do it again,” wrote Crystal City farmer Landon Friesen on Twitter. Crusting after heavy rain led to him re-seeding 1,000 acres of canola, he told the Co-operator.