Producers interested in learning how to maximize their canola crop should plan now to attend one of two Oklahoma-Kansas Winter Canola Conferences taking place July 29 in Enid and July 30 in Altus.
“Think of the conferences as one-stop shopping, wherein a participant can get the latest science-proven information about what it takes to raise the most successful canola crop possible relative to local conditions,” said Rick Nelson, Garfield County Extension agricultural educator.
There is no charge to attend either of the conferences being put on by cooperating partners Oklahoma State University Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Kansas State University, Oklahoma Oilseed Commission and the Great Plains Canola Association.
The July 29 conference will take place from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Enid Convention Hall, located downtown at 301 S. Independence Ave. in Enid. A meeting of the Great Plains Canola Association will follow the meeting.
The July 30 conference will take place from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Western Oklahoma State College, located at 2801 N. Main St. in Altus.
Registration will begin at 8 a.m. for both conferences, with programs kicking off just before 9 a.m.
“Conference materials, refreshments and lunch will be provided free-of-charge to participants, thanks to the generosity of numerous donors,” said Ron Sholar, GPCA executive director. “Conference sessions will focus on lessons learned from the past year, weather and climate outlook, variety and hybrid performance, advanced agronomics, market outlook, crop insurance update and pest management, as well as updates from the U.S. Canola Association and Great Plains Canola Association.”
Sessions will be led by experts from OSU, KSU, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and industry.
Continuing education units will be available to conference participants who are certified pesticide applicators from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. Certified crop advisor CEUs also will be available.
“Canola has proven itself to be a profitable crop when properly managed,” said Josh Bushong, OSU Cooperative Extension canola specialist. “Many producers in the region have reported comparable yields between canola and wheat, even under stressed conditions.”
“As for this year, the dry weather that the crop endured the entire growing season really presented some challenges, and then we had the mid-April freeze so this crop was produced under really difficult conditions,” Bushong said. “There were lessons learned from this year and we will be sharing those with growers at these meetings.”
Anyone seeking additional information about the upcoming canola conferences should contact Bushong by email at josh.bushong@okstate.edu or by phone at 405-744-9600, or Sholar by email at jrsholar@aol.com or by phone at 405-780-0113.
