Looking back 2022 and Looking towards 2023 - Canola

As we wrap up InVigor canola harvest here in North Dakota it is time to start thinking about next years crop. There are many decisions that go into making the best crop possible during the growing season and now is a great time to reflect on what happened in 2022 while it is still fresh in your mind. What went well and what didn't. Here are some things to consider when looking back:

Insects - Did I take care of insects in a timely manner as to give my canola the best chance? Seed treatments such as Lumiderm and Buteo are good ways to keep flea beetles at bay in the spring. They are not a cure all and insecticide applications are still sometimes needed to keep flea beetles from causing too much damage. Scouting is key even when using seed treatment insecticides.

Variety Selection - Look at yields from fields on your farm. Look at data from BASF DST trials and third party data. Take a look at new InVigor Hybrids.

Fertility - How did my canola do in comparison to the neighbors? Did my ground run short on any product. Fertilizer is expensive right now and taking a look at what you can do better can help make money. In most conditions shorting yourself on fertility is not a best practice when it comes to yield.

Herbicide program - How was my herbicide control this year. Did I have weeds poking through later in the season? Make plans for 2022 that can help take care of the weeds during the season so they don't show up later in the season. Liberty herbicide has a lot of variables that make it work better. Make sure that they were all applied.

Disease reduction - Did I do everything I could to take care of diseases that were occuring on my fields? Seedling diseases, Black leg, White mold, Verticillium wilt, Club root Etc. Could I choose varieties or fungicides that could have helped put more pounds in the combine during harvest?

The above-mentioned things, to analyze are a short list of things to look at when considering canola in 2023. Also look at your complete canola operation including seeding date, tillage etc. the list is almost endless. Looking at issues that may have arisen this summer and addressing them before 2023 can make for a much smoother season as long as mother nature cooperates as she seldom does. Working on the variables that we can control will help with more yield in the combine!