Mother Nature Delivered Some Heat

Hot, dry conditions prevailed across the prairies last week which helped advance crop development. In Manitoba, swathing is generally well underway with approximately 60 to 75% of the crop already cut in most areas, but some parts of the northwest and Interlake region are still just beginning. Combining of earliest fields has begun in the central and southwest regions (up to 15% complete) with average to above average yield and good quality reported to date. In southern Saskatchewan, about 75% of the canola has been swathed with harvest progress decreasing moving into central (about 20 to 40% swathed) and northern (about 10 to 20% swathed) areas. In southwest Saskatchewan and southern Alberta, swathing is nearing completion with approximately 15% of the crop combined. Preliminary yield reports on dryland indicate that yields are lower than expected (crop’s potential looked better than it actually is). Swathing of canola in central and northern Alberta is variable with some areas just getting started and others up to 50 to 75% already cut. The Peace Region of Alberta is about 60% swathed and close to 100% of the crop has been cut in the BC Peace. Harvest management continues to be challenging due to the variable stages within fields.

The latest crop report from Manitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural Initiatives is available at: http://web2.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/mwcr/index.php
The latest crop report from Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture is available at:
http://www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/crprpt090831
The latest crop report from Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development is available at:
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sdd4191#2009
The following maps show growing degree days accumulating across western Canada this growing season: http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/prtgdd_e.htm

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Rain with Some Hail

Most areas got some rain late in the week and over the weekend slowing field operations temporarily. Rain showers were variable with most areas receiving a couple of tenths to ¾ of an inch. Heavier storms resulted in as much as 3 inches in parts of southwestern Manitoba, near Athabasca Alberta and in the Peace Region of Alberta. A band of hail causing fairly significant damage was reported between Athabasca and Boyle, Alberta.

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Be Patient, Wait for Adequate Seed Colour Change

Generally producers are waiting for adequate seed colour change before swathing but there have been reports of producers cutting fields too green. Avoid the urge to swath too early, especially under high temperatures (upper 20’s to 30’s or more). If hot, windy conditions continue, rapid dry-down of the plant material will not allow for proper curing which could lead to situations of elevated green seed. Slower dry down aids the curing process, which is important for reducing the chance for green seed issues. The optimum time to swath is when the majority of the crop has achieved 60% seed colour change. Waiting for this stage allows the crop to enter the dry down phase while still standing and does not require as much curing in the swath. Growers with large acreages to cover may need to start swathing earlier. The best fields to start cutting before 60% seed colour change are those that are most uniform in maturity with a dense stand (not a lot of side branching). Waiting for at least 30% SCC will capture most of the yield potential because the bulk of the seed will be past physiological maturity and be entering the dry down phase. Growers should avoid swathing during the hottest part of the day to minimize shattering of mature pods and slow dry down of less mature ones. This is particularly important in the situations described above. Swathing in the late evening through early morning hours when moisture levels are higher also helps in situations where hail or insect damage is present, or diseases have predisposed the plants to shattering.

An audio interview with Jim Bessel, Canola Council senior agronomy specialist, on minimizing green seed is available on the ACPC website at the following link: http://www.canola.ab.ca/agronomic/grow_with_canola.html
More information is available in the "Canola Time of Swathing Guide" at the following link:
https://canola-council.merchantsecure.com/canola_resources/product12.aspx

More information on harvesting a multi-stage crops is available at the following link:
Swathing and Harvesting Multiple Stage Canola Crops

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No Killing Frost - Yet

The first fall frost (killing frost) has not happened yet anywhere in western Canada and to date no frost appears to be in the forecast. So far this is giving the later canola a chance to fill and ripen naturally. Producers for the most part appear to be able to wait for 60% seed colour change before swathing. However if a killing frost is predicted, keep in mind that in order for canola to be protected it should be cut early enough to allow sufficient dry down before the frost (typically at least 3 days ahead). Past research by the Canola Council has shown that swathing earlier (30 to 40% seed colour change) resulted in approximately a 7% yield loss compared to swathing at 50 to 60% seed colour change. If a killing frost is predicted (in the neighborhood of -2⁰C or lower for a significant period of time), it is probably a better strategy to cut early and risk suffering that yield penalty rather than suffer significant frost damage (which can impact both yield and quality). If the crop is exhibiting only 20 to 30% seed colour change, check to see that the seeds on the side branches are firm rather than mushy. This will minimize yield loss from seed shrinkage and improve the odds that the seed will cure in the swath, although it will likely take longer and may require some more moist conditions. Swathing prior to 15 to 20% seed colour change should only be considered if the frost risk is severe, because swathing that early can significantly reduce yield potential and contribute to green seed issues if the frost does not materialize.

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Is That Crop Ripening or Is That Sclerotinia?

There are many reports of sclerotinia in parts of Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan. In some fields, there is a significant amount of sclerotinia (up to 95% incidence). As sclerotinia infection progresses, plants begin to senesce prematurely, which may make the field appear riper than it actually is. Always use seed colour change as the gauge for timing swathing. Plant or field colour change may only be the symptoms of sclerotinia infection. Don’t let the colour change of a small percentage of diseased plants affect the harvest timing of the whole field!

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Anchoring Short Canola Stands

Wind storms in southern and central Alberta have caused a substantial amount of swath scattering in some fields. It is important to anchor canola swaths against wind, especially this year because of low plant stands and shortened crop height. To reduce potential losses from swaths blowing, keep the following recommendations in mind.

• Swath parallel to the typical prevailing winds in the area.
• Cut the plants as high as possible, just below the lowest pod.
• Using a properly adjusted swath roller, push down the swath so that the edges are nestled into the stubble. Because the swath will be on or close to the ground, curing and/or dry down time may take longer.

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Protect Your Investment

Combining of canola is beginning in the earliest fields in the southern prairies. Reports so far indicate that canola seed moisture content is ‘dry’ (below 10%). It is important to remember that canola storage can be a concern even at seed moisture levels considered dry when the canola is binned at high temperatures or when there is a lot of ‘foreign’ material. Canola seeds can respire for up to six weeks and can begin to develop moist and hot spots within the bin, which then cause the seed to heat. Although the canola seed might test dry, the presence of green material (e.g. weeds or chaff or insects such as grasshoppers) within the respiring canola can cause heating. Canola should be stored in aeration bins whenever possible and the aeration should be used to bring down the temperature of binned canola. Canola in the bin should be conditioned to below 15 °C and 8% moisture for long term storage. More information on storing canola can be found at the following link: http://www.canolacouncil.org/contents12.aspx

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Missing Seed or Missing Pods – What Happened?

As harvest gets underway across the prairies there are the usual questions about missing pods on a plant and missing seeds within pods. Missing pods means that something interrupted the plant’s development at flowering. Several stresses can cause blank spots where pods should form such as environmental stress (frost, extremely high temperatures during flowering, drought, etc.) or other stresses (such as herbicide injury). If a seed never was formed (no rudimentary structure or remnant of a seed present), then a stress (e.g. environmental) before pollination caused that seed to be lost. If a vestige is present (more easily found when the crop is in the early stages of seed colour change), then a stress post-pollination (e.g. late season insect or disease) has caused that seed loss. It is often difficult at this time of year to diagnose why seeds or pods may be missing. To help understand what has happened with a canola crop, keep good records (including weather information) throughout the season and scout regularly. For information on some of the more common reasons for missing pods check the following fact sheet:
https://canola-council.merchantsecure.com/canola_resources/product33.aspx.

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Questions & Contacts

Direct questions regarding this report to John Mayko, Senior Agronomy Specialist with the Canola Council of Canada at maykoj@canolacouncil.org, 780-764-2593.
Direct specific questions regarding regional issues to one of the following Canola Council of Canada regional agronomists or provincial oilseed specialists:
Derwyn Hammond, Senior Agronomy Specialist Manitoba, hammondd@canolacouncil.org, 204-729-9011
Anastasia Kubinec, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, anastasia.kubinec@gov.mb.ca, 204-745-5645
Jim Bessel, Senior Agronomy Specialist, Central Saskatchewan, besselj@canolacouncil.org, 306-373-6771
Tiffany Martinka, Agronomy Specialist, Eastern Saskatchewan, martinkat@canolacouncil.org, 306-231-3663
Venkata Vakulabharanam, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, Venkata.Vakulabharanam@gov.sk.ca, (306)787-4668
Doug Moisey, Senior Agronomy Specialist, East Central Alberta and Northwestern Saskatchewan, moiseyd@canolacouncil.org, 780-645-9205
Erin Brock, Agronomy Specialist, Peace Region, brocke@canolacouncil.org,
780-568-3326

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