Behind the Blue Book

How the Province’s Crop Commissions Build Alberta’s Crop Protection Guide  

Known as the Blue Book, Alberta’s Crop Protection Guide has been a trusted resource for farmers and agronomists for more than 20 years. It is often kept close at hand during the growing season. When weeds and pests must be dealt with, the first course of action is to consult the Blue Book.

Prior to its spring publication date, many hours of work by the Blue Book production team ensure it is updated to include the latest information on farm chemistry products. It takes several months to produce the Blue Book. Its annual production cycle begins in September when the three project partners—Alberta Canola, Alberta Grains and Alberta Pulse Growers—meet to discuss the latest edition. This is followed by several additional meetings.

In October, agronomist Mark Cutts contacts manufacturers to gather updated product information. This includes the removal of products that are no longer available as well as the addition of new ones and updated details on existing products.

As Blue Book project coordinator, I attend tradeshows and conferences and reach out to farmers, agronomists and agricultural retailers. I answer questions, field concerns and gather feedback.

The design, writing and editing team works diligently to ensure the Blue Book is up to date, easy to read and contains the information users require to make decisions in the field.

In January, the team conducts a final check with manufacturers to ensure product details are complete and correct. Once the design and editing process is finished, the paper edition of the Blue Book is printed, and a PDF version is readied to be published on-line. The book is then printed and delivered to retailers and pre-order copies are sent directly to agronomists and farmers.

Order your copy today at albertabluebook.com.

Coming soon: There’s an app for that

As announced in January at the Crossroads Crop Conference, a new Blue Book app is now being built by a software developer. The app will be easy to use and feature offline functionality and advanced search capability. Everything you have come to expect from the book will be available online as of January 2026.

For Blue Book orders and questions as well as concerns and feedback, visit albertabluebook.com to find my contact information.