U.S. Canola Association’s Post

GREATER MSP, the Minneapolis Saint Paul Regional Economic Development Partnership, announced major developments toward operating with several stakeholders the first large-scale, end-to-end sustainable #aviation fuel (#SAF) value chain in the United States. One is that FLINT HILLS RESOURCES, LP, in collaboration with Delta Air Lines, is developing a facility to blend up to 30 million gallons of neat SAF at its Pine Bend refinery in Rosemount, Minn. It is expected to open at the end of 2025. SAF can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by more than 80% and current certification standards allow up to 50% neat SAF to be blended with the latter. “However, as a nascent industry, there is not enough SAF being produced today to fuel the world’s airlines for a single week,” noted GREATER MSP. https://ow.ly/skwJ50Tvn41

The U.S. Canola Association helps remove federal barriers and create incentives to produce #canola. Learn about our policy priorities at https://ow.ly/wfET50Tw1KH.

The GCIRC Global Council fo Innovation in Rapeseed and Canola is calling for abstracts by Nov. 30 for presentations at its technical meeting 8-10 April 2025 in Cambridge, UK. The theme will be climate change and presentations will be grouped into three sessions with the following sub-topics: 1) Adapting agronomy • Nitrogen/Nutrition use efficiency • Breeding and managing for drought, waterlogging, extreme weather • In-crop diversification (e.g., intercropping) 2) Managing pests and diseases: blackleg, verticillium, turnip yellows, cabbage stem flea beetle, winter stem weevil, pollen beetle • Understanding pest and disease lifecycles • Changes in migration or adaption to climate changes • Development and implementation of IPM systems • Neonics and impacts on beneficial insects • Deploying genetic solutions 3) Greenhouse gas emission reduction for the agrifood sector • Carbon foot-printing and benchmarking • Breeding and production for specialist markets • Development of fossil fuel substitutes, industrial oils, etc. https://ow.ly/cGEI50TzYy9

Preventing volunteer #canola in a following soybean crop requires extra effort to keep non-volunteer canola from escaping the back of a combine the year before, reported GRAINEWS. Research at the University of Manitoba looked at how volunteer canola occurs in soybeans, including combine speed, settings, separator type and canola variety. Ironically, higher yields of modern canola cultivars can contribute more to the volunteer canola seed bank. https://ow.ly/sMuQ50TvnY7 (Photo: Canola Council of Canada)

Ray Albrecht retired earlier this month as senior merchant at Cargill Agricultural Supply Chain – North America as well as from the #USCA board after many years of service. He worked for Cargill for 22 years as an agronomist/barley buyer and later as a territory manager and seed merchant, including #canola, with a stint as agriculturist at the American Crystal Sugar Company in between. Albrecht is a graduate of North Dakota State University’s agronomy and crop science program. On behalf of the USCA, thank you, Ray!

Today is World #MentalHealth Day per the World Health Organization and #farmers need to take care as “stress, anxiety, depression, emotional exhaustion and burnout are all high in the industry,” according to https://ow.ly/l0vN50Tvg2t. It’s a good time to reflect: https://ow.ly/3Z5150Tvg2q.

Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture to which the #USCA belongs will host its 2024 #Sustainable #Agriculture Summit Nov. 20-21 in Minneapolis. Entitled “A Decade of Progress and a Vision for the Future,” the summit will celebrate 10 years of collaboration on sustainable agriculture. Any USCA members interested in representing the organization at the summit, please contact Tom Hance at thance@gordley.com. https://ow.ly/7CLP50TvnVc

Nearly 230 agricultural groups, including the #USCA, submitted comments on the @Environmental Protection Agency’s draft Insecticide Strategy. “While we support EPA becoming compliant with the Endangered Species Act … it must do so in a way that does not drastically disrupt U.S. agriculture, other vital users of insecticides, and the consumers who rely on the food, fuel, fiber, and other services we produce,” they wrote. The complexity of the proposal will make it difficult for producers and applicators to comply with measures. Further clarification is needed on how to implement several measures and there are only a few types of run-off/erosion mitigations available to growers and landowners, several of which are expensive to install and maintain. https://ow.ly/X91I50TvmVl

North Dakota #canola yields are good at 2,200-2,600 pounds across most of the state, reported Northern Canola Growers Assn Executive Director Barry Coleman to Red River Farm Network. Some growers in the Bismarck area in Burleigh County even had up to 3,000-pound yields. But he estimates that yields will average 1,900-2,000 pounds statewide as a few areas in the southwest and north-central ran short of moisture. https://ow.ly/fnuU50TvmIp