Welcome to the first of this season’s weekly Canola Watch crop reports!
In this issue (click the
bookmark links below to move to specific sections
of this report):
Seeding progress |
Soil moisture conditions
| Soil temperatures
| Weed growth | Flea
beetles | Grasshoppers
| Seeding tips
Seeding of canola
has not begun in most areas of western Canada.
The exception is southern Alberta (south of
Hwy. 1) with reports of up to 15% of the canola
acres seeded. Some seeding of canola has also
started in areas of southwestern Saskatchewan.
The majority of fieldwork to date has been
in field preparation (rock picking, harrowing),
soil sampling and fertilizer application.
Many areas report some seeding of peas and
wheat, but in general widespread canola seeding
is not expected until this weekend.
Soil moisture conditions across western Canada range from poor to excellent. Most of eastern Manitoba, parts of eastern Saskatchewan near Yorkton, north central Alberta (north and east of Edmonton) and the eastern Peace region have good to excellent surface moisture. However, other areas such as western Saskatchewan (south of Hwy. 16) and southern Alberta have poor surface moisture. Some seeding operations in southern Alberta are stalled waiting for precipitation before resuming (top 2-3 inches are powder dry). Most other areas have some surface moisture at this time for crop germination. However, windy conditions over most areas in the last week have rapidly depleted surface moisture. To minimize moisture loss, reduce or eliminate tillage and keep seedbeds firm.
For current maps of moisture
conditions from PFRA for western Canada, check
the following link:
http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/drprec7_e.htm
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 Agriculture, Food &
Rural Revitalization is available at:
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/docs/reports/crop_report/crprpt040426.pdf
Additional moisture information
for Alberta is available from Alberta Environment
at:
http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/WS/data/precipmaps/weekly.pdf
Soil temperatures tend to follow the soil moisture differences across western Canada. Areas with higher soil moisture levels are in general still quite cool, while areas with dryer soils are relatively warm (up to 8°C daily high). Some emergence of earlier seeded canola has been noticed in parts of southern Alberta and emergence of volunteer canola has been noted in other areas. These early emerging areas are prone to possible damage from spring frosts. If frost does occur:
Remember, that a proper assessment of frost damage cannot be made for several days--until it can be determined whether new growth is appearing from damaged plants.
Weed growth has been slow in many areas due to the cool soil conditions. In some cases, growers are considering eliminating a pre-seeding burn off spraying operation due to the lack of obvious weed growth. Growers are reminded to get on their hands and knees to do a proper assessment of early and small emerging weeds. If they decide to eliminate the burn off treatment, it is especially important to do an early in-crop spray to eliminate early weed competition.
Flea beetles have been noticed in southern Alberta on cruciferous weeds such as stinkweed. Be especially vigilant for emerging flea beetles this spring in areas with flea beetle pressure last year, and if conditions warrant, be prepared to use a high rate of insecticide seed treatment and/or follow up with a foliar insecticide application.
Grasshoppers
have been also been noticed in some parts
of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Any grasshoppers
emerging at this time of the year are unlikely
to be pest species. For more background information
on grasshoppers, including identifying pest
and non-pest species, refer to the following
website from Dan Johnson at the University
of Lethbridge;
http://people.uleth.ca/~dan.johnson/htm/forecast04.htm
Despite drier surface soil conditions in some areas, growers need to ensure that seeding is shallow to facilitate rapid emergence. Keep any pre-seeding tillage shallow to help maintain the seedbed firmness and moisture. As well, apply recommended rates of phosphorus fertilizer for the faster pop-up effect in cooler areas and to assist in hastening crop maturity in the fall. However, in areas with limited surface moisture, consider limiting the amount of seed placed fertilizer, to maximize moisture available for seed germination and avoid damage to seedlings.
Any questions regarding this overall report
should be directed to John Mayko, Agronomic
Research & Extension Manager with the
Canola Council of Canada at maykoj@canola-council.org
ph/fax: 780-764-2593.
For specific questions regarding regional issues associated with this report, please consult one of the following Canola Council of Canada regional agronomists or provincial oilseed specialists;
Derwyn Hammond, Agronomist,
Manitoba,
hammondd@canola-council.org,
204-729-9011
Rob Park, Manitoba Agriculture
& Food,
rpark@gov.mb.ca,
204-745-5665
David Vanthuyne, Agronomist,
Eastern Saskatchewan,
vanthuyd@canola-council.org,
306-782-7799
David Blais, Agronomist,
Western Saskatchewan,
blaisd@canola-council.org,
306-895-2122
Jim Bessel, Senior Agronomist,
Northeastern Saskatchewan,
besselj@canola-council.org,
306-373-6771
Bill Greuel, Saskatchewan
Agriculture, Food & Rural Revitalization,
wgreuel@agr.gov.sk.ca,
306-787-2756
Doug Moisey, Agronomist,
Central Alberta,
moiseyd@canola-council.org,
780-645-3624
Christine Mardell, Agronomist,
Peace River Region,
mardellc@canola-council.org,
780-518-1513
Nancy Muchka-Dahl, Agronomist,
Southern Alberta,
muchkan@canola-council.org,
403-625-3406
Murray Hartman, Alberta
Agriculture, Food & Rural Development,
murray.hartman@gov.ab.ca,
403-782-8024
Kerry Clark, BC Ministry
of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries,
Kerry.Clark@gems9.gov.bc.ca,
250-787-3213
The Canola Watch Report provides just-in-time information on canola production to growers and industry. Contributors to the Canola Agronomy Network are: Manitoba Agriculture & Food; Manitoba Canola Growers Association; Agricore United; Cargill; Saskatchewan Wheat Pool; United Farmers of Alberta; Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food & Rural Revitalization; Saskatchewan Canola Growers Association; Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission; Alberta Agriculture, Food & Rural Development; Alberta Canola Producers Commission; BC Ministry of Agriculture; Food & Fisheries; and the Canola Council of Canada.