Canola 100 contest raises the yield bar to 85.88 bushels per acre

In year two of the Canola 100 challenge, presented by Agri-Trend and John Deere, farmers from across Canada once again showed that canola yields can be pushed higher. The Canola Council of Canada’s 2025 goal of a 52 bushel per acre average is well within the grasp of some Western Canadian farmers.

This year’s new leader is Merle Klassen, Linden, Alberta at 85.88 bushels per acre over 50 continuous acres.

“The growers are focused on seeding rates, fertility rates, herbicide tolerance, fungicides and harvest strategies to get the highest yield possible,” notes Rob Saik of Agri-Trend.

Klassen used 119 lbs of nitrogen and 10 lbs of phosphorus, which is likely less than you would expect, says Saik.

At the Farm Forum event in early December, the top competitors discussed the opportunity to incorporate some of these high yield tactics into their overall canola plan.

Hear a discussion between Agri-Trend founder Rob Saik and Shaun Haney on the results of the contest and what some of the 2017 top 5 growers did to achieve their 80-plus bushel yields.

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