Olds College will be hosting a seminar in February 2014 focusing on the latest research relating to canola.
The Canola Council of Canada is spearheading the event, dubbed CanoLAB, which hopes to draw 350 agronomists, growers and students from around Western Canada.
Experts in canola, entomology and other specialties related to canola from around Western Canada will present the latest research regarding canola during the three-day conference that runs from February 19 to 21.
“Ultimately, what we want is people to better understand some of these issues that are in canola and understand the pests and diseases and how to diagnose these issues,” said Dan Orchard, the north central Alberta agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada. “It allows us to get some of the key messages out there that surround these diseases and pests of our crops.”
Orchard said many growers in attendance will have thousands of acres of canola under cultivation, highlighting the importance of the topics under discussion. Last year, the conference featured more than 30 instructors talking about various issues.
Part of the event will include the presentation of findings from replicated field trials to growers and agronomists.
While the event has previously been hosted at a greenhouse in Edmonton, Orchard said the council wanted to use more of a student approach this year through hosting CanoLAB at a college and presenting the findings in a classroom-type setting. He said one of the unique issues surrounding the event is that because it's held during the winter, the canola, insects and other items must be kept in a greenhouse and, for this year, transported to the site.
“We try to make it as field-like as we can, but sometimes it's hard in a greenhouse and it doesn't always work. It takes a lot of planning,” he said.
