Producers interested in maximizing canola crop productivity should plan now to attend one of the open-to-the-public Oklahoma Winter Canola Spring Field Tours taking place in April.

“Many wheat producers have experienced significant value and benefits by growing winter canola as part of their crop rotation, taking advantage of solid canola prices while also helping to clean up their wheat fields without taking on undue management costs,” said Josh Lofton, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension cropping systems specialist.

A particular advantage of participating in the field tours is ease of access. Each county event will take between 90 minutes and two hours.

Sponsored by the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Oklahoma Oilseed Commission and the Great Plains Canola Association, start times for scheduled field tours are:

● April 10 – 9 a.m. Grant County, Medford;
● April 10 – 2 p.m. Woods County, Dacoma;
● April 12 – 10 a.m. Major/Garfield County, Lahoma; and
● April 17 – 10 a.m. Ottawa County, Miami.

Directions to and updates about each tour event are available online by visiting the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources’ Okanola webpage at http://canola.okstate.edu.

“Each field tour will provide a detailed look at varieties,” Lofton said. “We will be discussing variety performance, insect management decisions, harvest management, fertility, the latest updates about canola diseases and management practices growers need to be thinking about going into the 2018 planting season.” 

Although the field tours are free of charge, participants are asked to RSVP with the appropriate OSU Cooperative Extension county office for the specific tour being attended.

“Having a head count really does assist with the planning process and helps ensure each participant gets the most out of the experience,” Lofton said.

Anyone seeking additional information about the April canola field tours should contact Lofton by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-334-1570.