Crop Conditions – Week of September 1st, 2025. As the 2025 corn season nears its end, two significant diseases—tar spot and southern rust have been getting considerable attention from agronomists and growers across Ontario and the US Corn Belt. Tar spot has been confirmed from Ontario to Kansas, while southern rust’s fast-moving progression from the […]
This article was originally written by Joel Bagg in 2016. It was edited August 22, 2025 by Christine O’Reilly to fix broken links to further resources. With the dry weather this year and low forage yields across much of the province, many producers are looking for alternative forages. There is a lot of stressed corn […]
Pre-harvest Management of Soybeans Many soybean fields are now beginning to yellow, which indicates they are at the R6 (full seed) growth stage. This means that green soybean seeds fill the pod cavity on one of the 4 top nodes. At this stage, pods have reached their full length and no new pods form. Root […]
Variety Registration For seed to be legally sold in Canada, varieties of Brassica napus (canola and/or oilseed rape) must be registered with the Variety Registration Office (VRO) under the authority of the Seeds Act. Candidate varieties are tested for certain merit criteria according to guidelines set by the various Canadian canola recommending committees. The Ontario […]
Seed Quality Ensure the seed being planted is of high quality. Germination is the major seed quality consideration used in grading seed lots and certified seed must meet purity and germination standards. Germination standards test the ability of a seed lot to produce normal seedlings under favourable conditions of 95%–100% humidity and 25°C. Stress conditions […]
Field Selection Canola responds best when planted in well-drained soil with a minimum pH of 5.5. Fields with variable drainage and soil pH may have variable stands and yield. Winter canola requires better drainage than winter wheat and should therefore be grown on well-drained soils. Winter canola generally has good tolerance to freezing temperatures but […]
Conventional Tillage Conventional tillage (i.e., mouldboard, chisel) is being replaced by lower disturbance, higher residue tillage systems on many farms. Fall primary tillage is preferred by some producers on clay or clay loam soils so that spring tillage establishes a suitable seedbed. However, keep spring secondary tillage to a minimum to preserve soil moisture, minimize […]
Seed winter canola so that plants develop 6 to 8 leaves and an adequate root system (1.25 cm (0.5 in.) diameter) before winter. Adequate fall growth will improve winter survival and reduce risk of frost heaving. Winter canola needs a minimum of 600 Growing Degree Days prior to a hard frost (average daily temperature below […]
Row Width Ontario winter canola is commonly grown on 38 cm (15 in.) spacings. Row widths of 19 cm (7.5 in.) are also appropriate and are commonly used for Ontario spring canola. Research has not been conducted on row widths in Ontario winter canola. In the Pacific Northwest and Kansas, it is recommended to grow […]
Assessing Canola Stands in Fall The optimum plant stand is 202,000 to 344,000 plants/ac or 50 to 85 plants/m2 (5 to 8 plants/ft2). Canola can yield well across a wide range of populations; a stand of 55 plants/m2 has the same yield potential as a stand of 215/m2 (20 plants/ft2). However, populations of winter canola […]
There has been limited research on winter canola fertility in Ontario. Recommendations are adopted from other regions and based on known fertilizer requirements in spring canola, which is the same species as winter canola. The high rates of nitrogen and sulphur required, and the seeding methods used make it inconvenient and risky to apply all […]
Growth Rate and Days to Maturity Canola development is aligned with growing degree days (GDD) and the amount of sunlight captured. Canola will grow at temperatures above 5°C, however the optimum temperature for growth is 18°C to 25°C. Growth rate and days to maturity are highly dependent on winter and spring conditions. High temperatures (i.e., […]
Slugs are a pest of both winter and spring canola. Their severity is influenced by crop residue; slugs shelter in residue and cause damage in no-till fields or areas of tilled fields that have residue on the surface. Damage has more often been observed in winter canola, likely because there is a greater appetite for […]
Cabbage seedpod weevil is a pest of both spring and winter canola. High risk fields include the most advanced in an area and in areas that had a warm, open fall and mild winter. Cabbage seedpod weevil (Ceutorhynchus obstrictus) adults feed on flower buds but economic damage is caused by larvae feeding on seeds inside […]
Clubroot is a significant disease of canola in Western Canada and has been found in multiple fields and regions in Ontario. Once clubroot is established in a field it cannot be eradicated. Symptoms include galling of roots leading to wilting, stunting and yellowing of plants. Yield loss can range from 0-100% in areas of fields […]