Aphids on wheat.

Aphids turning up in cereals, peas

Aphids have been a concern in some cereal and pea fields, according to Manitoba Agriculture’s latest insect and disease update on Wednesday. Aphids have also been reported in corn, and isolated incidence of turnip aphids have been found in canola, the province said. Thistle caterpillar and their webbing continue to be quite noticeable in some

Different varieties of blackleg resistance are put on display during Canolapalooza June 22 in Portage la Prairie.

Gene labelling tools hope to better target blackleg

Researchers say better gene classification will help match blackleg-resistant canola varieties to races of the fungus found in the field. AAFC Saskatoon has unveiled tools to quickly identify avirulence proteins (which facilitate plant infection) in submitted samples, attendees of Canolapalooza heard June 21 in Portage la Prairie. Harunur Rashid, graduate student with the University of


Eugenia Banks, a consultant with the Ontario Potato Board, has test plots featuring Spartan Chipper (pictured) and AAC Glossy, a fresh market potato. (Photo courtesy Eugenia Banks)

Pearce: Tests negative, weather positive for late blight in Ont. potatoes

Aside from concerns regarding drier conditions in different potato-growing regions of Ontario, some growers are testing for late blight. Spore traps near Delhi came back negative recently — but did indicate an increase at the end of the experiment. Eugenia Banks, a consultant for the Ontario Potato Board, stated such a “signal” might indicate an

(Cia.gov)

Ag groups tout potential of trade pact with China

Canadian ag commodity groups expect to make a case for freer trade with China during consultations now underway alongside Ottawa’s talks on a possible free trade deal with Beijing. Federal Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne on Friday announced public consultations, running until June 2, following last September’s announcement of “exploratory discussions” on a free trade agreement


Sclerotinia risks remain high for Manitoba canola producers.

Sclerotinia biggest issue for Manitoba canola growers in 2016

The annual disease survey found this perennial challenge is still the biggest issue for farmers

Sclerotinia was the biggest issue for Manitoba canola growers last year, according to results from the 2016 disease survey. It showed that over 90 per cent of the 105 Manitoba fields surveyed had some level of sclerotinia infection. The incidence of the disease – the number of plants infected in the field – was between

BrettYoung’s Eric Gregory and (l to r) DL Seeds’ Kevin McCallum and Sakaria Liban in the DL Seeds screening greenhouse.

Homegrown canola breeder sees opportunities and challenges

BrettYoung and DL Seeds say they’ll continue to be a major player in canola breeding in Western Canada

A Manitoba-based canola-breeding consortium says the current wave of lifescience mergers isn’t necessarily bad news for them. Winnipeg’s BrettYoung and Morden’s DL Seeds, a joint venture of two of the largest European oilseed rape-breeding companies, have been working together for a number of years to bring canola hybrids to market. They’ve seen their market share


Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in August 2016. (PM.gc.ca)

China, Canada resolve canola dispute until 2020

Ottawa | Reuters — Canada and China have agreed on a solution to a trade dispute over $2 billion worth of annual canola sales, lasting to 2020, leaders of the two countries said on Thursday. The solution is “predictable, science-based and stable,” ensuring access for Canadian shipments to China, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said

Canola most sensitive to potential trade disruption

Canola most sensitive to potential trade disruption

A long list of pesticide residues and other issues have the potential to derail canola exports

Few Canadian crops rely on exports as much as canola so making sure they don’t contain pesticides customers prohibit is critical to protecting markets, the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) says. “Canada exports 90 per cent of the canola we produce, and shipments containing even the smallest amount of unacceptable residues or deregistered varieties can