Researchers in California are finding plenty of advantages to growing cool-season crops like canola and camelina to reduce transpiration and water-demand issues and diversify cropping systems to meet market demands.

Josh Lofton, a cropping systems specialist at Oklahoma State University Extension, explains why canola plants may die if planted after certain wheat varieties in no-till fields.

Josh Lofton, cropping systems specialist for Oklahoma State University Extension, discusses the herbicides that work best in canola used in a rotation with winter wheat.

Farmers considering cover crop seeding and establishment this fall should remember that some herbicides can persist and potentially influence successful cover crop establishment, says Penn State University Extension.

Oklahoma State University ag economist Eric DeVuyst discusses tools growers can use to decide whether to plant wheat or canola this fall.

University of Manitoba soil ecologist Mario Tenuta says canola has no association with mycorrhizal fungi, so it’s best to shift to no-till, green manures and cereals or soybeans after canola to maintain mycorrhizal populations.

Some growers have been wondering whether there’scorrelation between straight-cutting canola and heating in the bin of the crop. Angela Brackenreed, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, discusses the issue.

Kansas State University canola breeder Mike Stamm discuses screening canola varieties for winter hardiness, and new canola lines to be available to growers soon. He also discusses weather stresses affecting the Kansas canola crop.

Since new data indicates some forms of clubroot resistance are no longer functioning well against new clubroot pathotypes in some of the heavily infested fields, the Alberta Canola Producers Commission encourages growers to consider a comprehensive management plan that includes crop rotation, sanitation and the use of clubroot resistance varieties.

The difficulty with clubroot is that early infection causes symptoms that are difficult to assess with the naked eye. But PCR tests could be a valuable tool for growers, experts say.