Canola Council


Canola Watch

2003 Canola Watch Reports

Canola Crop Watch Report No. 13
Western Canada – July 23, 2003

Soil moisture conditions remain good to excellent for crop development throughout much of Manitoba except for the southwest area of the province, the northwest near Dauphin and the Interlake. Moisture conditions are variable throughout Saskatchewan. Hot weather and winds have combined to reduce soil moisture levels in many areas with dry conditions occurring in eastern Saskatchewan around Yorkton, in the northeast near Melfort, and in many areas of the northwest. Moisture conditions in Alberta are fair to excellent. The southern part of the province and east central regions east of Camrose are dry and in need of moisture.
For current PFRA maps of moisture conditions, check these Web pages:
http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/drprec4_e.htm
http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/drprecw_e.htm
http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/prgrowing_e.htm

Additional moisture information for Alberta is available from Alberta Environment at:
http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/WS/data/precipmaps/weekly.pdf

The latest crop report from Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food & Rural Revitalization is available at:
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/docs/reports/crop_report/crprpt030622.asp?
firstPick=Reports&secondPick=Crop%20Report

Crop development in most areas has advanced significantly due to the heat. Early seeded crops in central and eastern Manitoba are at the end of flowering and are well into pod development. Crops in most other areas are into full bloom. Hot weather continues to cause bud and flower blasting throughout many canola growing regions of western Canada particularly in southwest Manitoba, much of Saskatchewan and in southern Alberta. These hot, dry conditions continue to cause the premature end to flowering in some fields. Refer to the July 8 Canola Crop Watch Report for more information on flower blast:
http://www.canola-council.org/seed/canola-watch/watch-jul8.shtml

Bertha armyworm moth counts are high in southwest Manitoba and northwest Saskatchewan near Speers, with some larvae beginning to emerge in Manitoba. Grasshoppers continue to be a problem in many areas with spraying of canola reported in western Manitoba. Grasshopper pressure continues to be high in areas with the most drought stress. Diamondback moth larvae continue to be found in many areas of Saskatchewan, with some spraying reported in the northeast. Other insects identified in the past week include flea beetles, red turnip beetle, beet webworm, and lygus bugs. It is very important to keep scouting for these insects as the crop finishes flowering and starts podding. The early podding stage is when the crop is most vulnerable to economic losses from these insects. The crop drops its leaves, and the insects will move from the leaves onto the pods causing direct yield losses. It is also important to use proper techniques when scouting for various insects. Use a sweep net to determine thresholds for lygus bugs and cabbage seedpod weevil. A sweep net cannot be used for determining thresholds for diamondback moth, bertha armyworm, beet webworm or alfalfa looper larvae. An estimation of the number of these larvae within a square meter is a more accurate determination of thresholds for these insects. Check some of the previous crop reports for more information on scouting for these insects:

For more information and images of the moth and larvae, visit these Web pages:
http://vc55moths.topcities.com/imagearchive/pyralid/loxostegesticticalis.htm
http://www.canola-council.org/images_insects.html

Red turnip beetle and alfalfa looper:
http://www.canola-council.org/seed/canola-watch/watch-jun18.shtml

Lygus bugs, diamond back moth and sweep net scouting:
http://www.canola-council.org/seed/canola-watch/watch-jun25.shtml
http://www.canola-council.org/PDF/sweepcard_04.pdf
http://www.canola.ab.ca/acpc/lygus.shtml

For more information on bertha armyworms including latest monitoring results, check the following links:
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/prm2525
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/DOCS/crops/integrated_pest_management/
insects/Berthawo.asp?
firstPick=Crops&secondpick=Integrated%20Pest%20Management&thirdpick=Insects
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/docs/crops/integrated_pest_management/
insects/berthamap0107.asp?
firstPick=Crops&secondpick=Integrated%20Pest%20Management&thirdpick=Insects
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/insects/fad03s00.html

Anyone scouting fields that were planted to a canola variety rated moderately resistant (MR) or resistant (R) and finds blackleg infected plants, is asked to send these infected plants to Dr. Dilantha Fernando, Plant Pathologist, at the University of Manitoba (fernando@ms.umanitoba.ca, (204) 474-6072. University researchers are studying the blackleg races present to determine whether any have been able to overcome the resistance present with current varieties.

Direct overall questions regarding this report to John Mayko, Agronomic Research and Extension Manager, 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 Blais, Agronomist, Western Saskatchewan, blaisd@canola-council.org, 306-895-2122
David Vanthuyne, Agronomist, Eastern Saskatchewan, vanthuyd@canola-council.org, 306-782-7799
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 & Southern Alberta, moiseyd@canola-council.org, 403-553-2829
Christine Mardell, Agronomist, Peace River Region, mardellc@canola-council.org, 780-518-1513
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 Crop 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, James Richardson International, 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.


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