2024 Cropping Alternatives (Crop Budget Planning) now available online

Sep 03, 2024

Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation has released the 2024 Cropping Alternatives (Crop Budget Planning), an essential resource for farmers.

This annual Crop Budget Planning is tailored to specific soil zones and covers a broad range of dryland and irrigated crops and forages. It includes estimated costs and returns for the 2024 growing season, which can be customized to reflect the unique production, pricing and cost factors of individual farming operations.

This initiative is part of Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation's ongoing commitment to providing decision-making tools that address both profitability and risk management within the crops industry.

The current versions are available for free download here.

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.