Sustainability
Taking care of the land.
Canola farmers take pride in how they care for their most valued resource, their land. By adopting leading-edge innovations, farmers produce more canola per acre while maintaining the existing farmland footprint. Growing canola also helps to sequester carbon in the soil and provides habitat for an incredible diversity of beneficial insects, including bees.
Biodiversity.
Canola fields are habitats for an incredible diversity of beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies, spiders, wasps and beetles. These diverse insect groups help increase crop yields and provide a natural check on insect pest populations. Farmers use a wide range of tools such as crop rotations and detailed field scouting to protect these valuable allies. New technologies, such as seed treatments, allow farmers to target pests that damage canola seedlings while allowing beneficial insects to flourish. The seed treatments remain on the seed and are not released as dust into the air.
Bees and canola: A sweet relationship.
Bees are attracted to the bright yellow canola flowers. The pollen from the flowers is an ideal food for honeybees, while canola nectar provides a sugar source for honey production. Canola honey has a desirable mild flavor and light color.
The bees, on the other hand, can have a positive impact on canola production, helping to improve yields. Canola farmers work closely with beekeepers to protect bees and this mutually beneficial relationship. Over several decades, the number of acres seeded with canola and honeybee colonies have shared a linear increase in numbers.
Cooling the earth.
Canola’s bright yellow flowers create a canopy that provides an important cooling effect by reflecting sunlight away from the earth.
Canola farming practices help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
One of the greatest challenges in growing canola is competition from weeds. Farmers used to remove weeds by tilling the soil, which led to moisture loss and erosion. Canola varieties that are herbicide-tolerant have helped farmers to forgo tillage and use smaller amounts of herbicide to control weeds. By not tilling the land, farmers make fewer passes over their fields with tractors and other equipment, reducing fuel and greenhouse gas emissions while improving soil health.
Capturing carbon from the air.
Plants need carbon dioxide to grow and produce seed, and in turn produce oxygen, which is required for our survival. Canola is particularly good at removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it underground because its roots run deeper than many other crops.
FAQs.
What growing stages does the canola plant go through?
Seedlings emerge four to 10 days after planting. From a taproot, bottom leaves form a rosette, which send up a flower stalk as the plant grows. The flowering stage lasts 14 to 21 days and, during this time, prairie fields are a sea of brilliant yellow flowers. Bees, visiting the flowers for nectar, help pollinate the flowers. Once the flowers are fertilized, pods take 35 to 45 days to fill with seeds. A combine machine is used to separate and harvest the canola seeds once the plant is mature.
What challenges does canola present to farmers?
One of the greatest challenges in growing canola is competition from weeds. Farmers used to rely on tilling the soil to remove weeds from their fields. This dried out the soil, leading to erosion and reduced fertility. With herbicide-tolerant canola, farmers can forgo tillage and use smaller amounts of herbicide to control weeds, keeping the soil moist and fertile.
What is no-till farming?
No-till farming means that the soil is left undisturbed instead of being turned over or tilled. Plant material remaining from the previous crop is left in the ground and the new crop is planted on top.
Do seed treatments harm bees and other beneficial insects?
Seed treatments are coatings applied to canola seeds before they are purchased by the farmer. The coating is brightly colored to distinguish treated seeds from untreated seeds. The seed coating helps protect the seedling from specific diseases and pests. They are not released in the air and do not harm beneficial insects, such as bees.
