Research Objective

• Effectively guide sustainable, profitable canola production to realize incremental gains toward the industries goal of 52 bushels per acre by 2025. In addition to updating knowledge and technology transfer (KTT) about increasing canola productivity, provide KTT for improving NUE, N2O emission, water quality, biodiversity indices and other sustainability metrics that allow canola producers to connect with consumers KTT for updated pest threshold models and canola storage guidelines.
• Changing climate means that we potentially need to adjust pest threshold models as a component of our IPM strategy and we are storing large volumes of canola as bin-sizes increase under warmer and wetter conditions than in the past decade.
• Strengthen position as the industry’s most valuable resource for science-based solutions to production issues, especially with changing climatic conditions.
• Maintenance and expansion of existing KTT repertoire to include crowdsourcing technology, virtual reality, and new digital and social media platforms.
• Use of drones and image analysis technology to enhance the field research component for on-farm learning.
• Broaden KTT offerings and improve decision-making methods to satisfy a wider range of learning styles and levels of expertise and increase overall touchpoints.
• Strengthen researcher relations and broaden researcher networks.

Project Description

The Canola Council of Canada’s “Crop Production and Innovation” Team, with support from our “Communications” team, work to translate research findings into tangible on-farm practices, while also informing the research community of knowledge gaps that can be addressed by well-designed research. To address a diversity of learning styles and methods of obtaining information, the teams have a range of digital, physical and interactive platforms to transfer knowledge. These platforms, which utilize visual, audio and calculation aids as well as hands-on experiences, require continual updating to reflect new information and enhance the learning experience.

The Canola Council of Canada has trusted resources that are available at all times, including online tools like Canola Watch, Canola Digest (quarterly issues and annual Science Edition) and Canola Encyclopedia as well as the multitude of informative CCC videos on key crop production topics (that have incorporated or built on the findings from Growing Forward and GF2 research findings). We also provide in-person, hands-on opportunities for education, like our annual CanoLAB and CanolaPalooza events in each of the three prairie provinces, which allow for quality exchange of information between growers, stakeholders and the academic community. Tools and applications are also available, like the online Canola Calculator and digital and printed publications (ex. “All About Clubroot”, “Insect Scouting Guide”, “Harvest Seed Loss Guide”), to direct time sensitive decision making in the growing season. The CCC is also looking to develop enhanced digital and social media and crowdsourcing technologies to further develop our “evidence-based” approach to production innovation and extend knowledge and technology transfers (KTT) to stakeholders.

These concepts build on successful programs that the CP&I team have already run, such as the Ultimate Canola Challenge (UCC), which utilizes on-farm trials to produce quality aggregate data that can be shared back to the growers as well as the industry. In addition to the strong connection the innovative CP&I team members have with the growers and researchers, they are also interested in the newest technologies and strategies that can move the canola industry forward. Initiated by the precision ag and big data lead on the CP&I team, a few drones have been utilized for various projects, including collecting variety comparison images for the Canola Performance Trial program (which is administered by the CCC).

The use of variable rate fertilizer technology has also been investigated by the CP&I team and as virtual reality (VR), machine-learning applications and other new technologies become available to the canola industry over the several years, the CP&I team will examine these as well.

Ultimately, the CP&I team acts as a multi-directional, multi-platform KTT conduit between producers, industry partners and the research community to ensure that evidenced-based information results in timely and effective decision making to ensure a sustainable, reliable supply of seed, oil and meal. This KTT project will ensure that the public/private research partnerships that underpin this science cluster have high economic and societal impact. There is a constant need for knowledge and technology transfer throughout the calendar year to reach a fully connected audience and to continue to see gains towards the industries goal of sustainably reaching 52 bushels per acre, with increased profitability and reduced production risk, by the year 2025.