Calgary (Rural Roots Canada) – “Not all canola hybrids are created equal, and that’s why producers need to look at the traits of all the canola hybrids closely.”

That’s according to Kassi Rinas, a Proprietary Representative for Nutrien Ag Solutions in Northern Alberta.

“I recommend writing down what attributes are important to you on your farm and what you value and what you think is most important for yourselves,” says Rinas.

She says then you should look at maturity.

“Do you need an early maturing variety? Can you get away with a mid or full-season variety? Start there and start narrowing out your options just based on your growing zone and your maturity.”

Disease pressure is another factor to consider.

“Are you in a high clubroot-prone zone? Have you had blackleg in the past? Maybe then you’d opt for something with more resistance. You’d opt for a variety with disease resistance, right? I would look into that next.”

Farmers also need to consider when they plan to take the crop off.

“Are you planning on swathing it? Are you planning on straight-cutting it? Depending on what you’re planning to do with it, there’s a lot of varieties with the pod shatter trait now or increased pod integrity.”

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Rinas says this could be a huge tool and asset on your farm, depending on what you plan to do with it.

She says it’s also important to scout your weed population and know what is in your field so you can select the right herbicide system in your hybrid.

“There is a lot of different herbicide systems available for our growers, and this is something you should be thinking about before you make your purchasing decision for this year.”

She points to LibertyLink®, TruFlex®, Optimum® Gly, Clearfield® as some of the options.

“Each program has its benefits and drawbacks, and some are better on certain weed spectrums than others, and some may offer you an extended window of application to get spraying.

Rinas says a farmer’s decisions really depend on what you’re doing as there are a lot of different choices.