Winter crop offers access to new markets
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – With high input costs and volatile crop markets impacting profitability, many Tennessee row crop producers are looking to diversify their farming operations in the coming years. Canola, a cool-season crop, could serve as an alternative to winter wheat and offer access to new international markets and revenue opportunities.
“Statewide canola acreage increased from 4,000 acres in 2025 to 6,000 to 8,000 acres in 2026,” says Mitchell Richmond, tobacco, hemp and specialty crop specialist with University of Tennessee Extension. “A key reason is how well it fits into existing crop rotations, in which we grow soybeans or corn in the summer and either wheat or canola during the winter. Additionally, market prices for canola have been very favorable in recent years.”
More than 2.5 million acres of canola are grown in the U.S. annually. In Tennessee, it is planted from mid-September through mid-October, allowing the crop to establish its root system before colder temperatures arrive. Growth resumes in early spring, with yellow flowers appearing in April before harvest in late May to early June. The collected seed is approximately 40% oil, used in cooking products, animal feed, renewable fuels and more.
For Jamison Turner, a fifth-generation West Tennessee farmer, canola has become an important addition to his row crop operation in Weakley and Obion counties.
“We grow about 4,500 acres of corn and soybeans in the summer, and about 500 acres of canola in the winter,” says Turner. “Warm season crops are not bringing in as much revenue, but canola allows more flexibility in our production system that we can adjust depending on markets. Plus, it serves as a cover crop to protect our soil from erosion.”
With statewide canola acres expected to continue increasing, researchers with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) are evaluating management solutions for diseases and pests that could impact production.
“This past season, we saw aphid infestations as well as white mold,” says Heather Kelly, Extension specialist and plant pathology researcher. “There are already established management strategies across the U.S., but we want to ensure they are effective in Tennessee.”
Kelly says producers should scout carefully for both pests throughout the growing season. Aphids are commonly found near blooms or under leaves near the base of the plant, along with the insect’s honeydew, a sticky, sugary substance excreted as they feed on plant sap. White mold appears as a white, cotton-like growth at the base of the plant stem. Infected stems are often hollow and can be easily identified compared to healthy crops.
Since both aphids and white mold can reduce yield, UTIA experts recommend rotating canola with winter wheat to minimize infestations and disease pressure.
For more information on canola production in Tennessee, including how to incorporate the crop into your production system, please contact your local county Extension office. A tour on canola production will also be held at the 34th Milan No-Till Field Day on Thursday, July 23, at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. CDT at the AgResearch and Education Center at Milan. For more information, visit milannotill.tennessee.edu.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.