In
this issue (click the bookmark links below to
move to specific sections of this report):
Seeding progress
| Reseeding |
Maturity considerations
| Soil moisture conditions
| Soil temperatures
| Frost | Weed
growth | Flea
beetles | Stem feeding
| Spraying for flea beetles
| Cutworms | Grasshoppers
Canola seeding is wrapping up across many areas of the west. However, rain and cool weather this past week continued
to stall seeding progress across most areas of Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan. Reports indicate that some soybean
acres in Manitoba may be switched to canola if seeding delays continue. In Manitoba, seeding progress ranges from about 70% in
the central and eastern regions up to 90% in the northwest. Manitoba Crop Insurance Corporation has extended the seeding deadline
by five days.
Seeding is finished in most of Alberta and the B.C. Peace.
However, some reseeding continues in areas of northwestern Saskatchewan and the Peace region near Debolt, Rycroft and Falher. Many of these fields were reseeded due to multiple frosts or to a combination of frost, flea beetles and seedling diseases. Some fields had areas that were not reseeded. Scouting revealed that these areas were doing better than reseeded areas. This indicates that the reseeding decisions may have been too hasty in these instances. Growers need to allow enough time to see if the crop will recover after major stresses, which include frost, flooding and hail. Refer to last week’s report for more information on how to make reseeding decisions: http://www.canola-council.org/seed/canola-watch/watch-may26.shtml
Growers who still have canola left to seed should reassess the maturity suitability of their chosen varieties. Further discussion of this subject was also covered in last week’s report (click the previous link). If the variety does not meet maturity requirements, ask your local retailer to suggest other suitable varieties.
Manitoba growers
can check the following link to determine their
frost-free days:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/climate/waa50s00.html
Alberta growers can
check the following link to determine their frost-free
days:
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex10
Soil moisture conditions improved across many parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan this past week. However, poor soil moisture conditions remain in a band extending from Camrose to Coronation to Oyen and in the Peace west of Grande Prairie, More rain in central and eastern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan exacerbated already wet conditions.
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/crprpt040531.asp
Additional moisture information
for Alberta is available from Alberta Environment
at:
http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/WS/data/precipmaps/weekly.pdf
Excess Soil Moisture - Heavy rainfall over the weekend in many areas of Manitoba have led to some concerns about water logging, flooding or ponding, particularly in eastern and central areas. Wet soils slow down or stop gas exchange between the soil and atmosphere, causing an oxygen deficiency, reducing root respiration and plant growth. Canola is quite susceptible to water logging and can show a yield reduction after only three days of flooding. Symptoms include older leaves turning purple and senescing more rapidly.
The yield loss will depend on the growth stage at the time of water logging, the duration of water logging and the temperature (Figure 1). High temperatures combined with water logging increase the yield reduction.
Figure 1. Effect of Water Logging on Yield
**Canola Growers Manual, 2003 edition, page 405**
Given that most canola is just
emerging, wait until a few days after the ponding
subsides and then assess survival rate to determine
if some reseeding is necessary. For more information
on dealing with heavy rainfall and water logging,
check the following Manitoba Agriculture, Food
and Rural Initiatives link:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/news/flood/index.html
Soil temperatures have improved slightly across most areas this past week. But, canola emergence remains delayed due to the wet conditions, especially in the eastern Prairies. The delayed crop development continues to fuel concerns regarding the window of protection that can be expected from seed treatments following canola emergence. As cool weather delays crop development, it puts greater stress on plants, especially when faced with multiple pressures such as insects, disease and frost. Scout fields frequently following emergence for any signs of damage so that rescue treatments can be applied where required.
Frost was reported this past week in northcentral Alberta near Smoky Lake, St. Paul and Vermilion. Allow time for crop recovery before making reseeding decisions.
Weed growth continues to be slow in many areas except in southern Alberta where 20-30% of the canola has been sprayed. However, weed growth is advanced compared to the crop in most areas, especially where a pre-emergent burnoff was not applied. Growers are reminded to get on their hands and knees to do a proper assessment of early and small emerging weeds and ensure that spraying is done early to avoid yield losses due to early weed pressure.
Flea
beetles continue to be reported in parts of
western Saskatchewan, and many areas of Alberta,
including most of the Peace region. Reports from
central Alberta and the Peace indicate that damage
has been more severe where seeding depths are
deeper and on very short or non-existent rotations.
Higher insecticide seed treatment rates appear
to be performing better than lower rates, especially
on early seeded fields. Flea beetle stem feeding
continues to be reported in many of these areas.
Cool conditions can cause flea beetles to remain
close to the soil surface to retain heat, leading
to high flea beetle pressure and stem feeding.
Stem feeding can quickly girdle the stem and the
plant dies within two to three days. To view stem
feeding of flea beetles, download this image:
http://www.canola-council.org/slides/pests/insects/Fleabeetlestemfeedinghs.zip
When field scouting check stems as well as leaves.
If stem feeding is noted, ensure the damage is
caused by flea beetles and not cutworms.
Post emergent spraying for flea beetles has been reported in areas of southern and central Alberta and many areas of the Peace. Some reports from the Peace have indicated that many growers plan to use an insecticide with their early weed control spray pass. Although this may seem to be an attractive option from a time efficiency perspective, growers need to determine whether the flea beetle pressure warrants an insecticide from both a cost perspective as well as the impact of the insecticide on beneficial insect populations.
Refer to the May 5 report for
further information on flea beetles:
http://www.canola-council.org/seed/canola-watch/watch-may5.shtml
Refer to the following link for more information on stem feeding by flea beetles: http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/news/insect/miu03_05_27.html
Cutworms
continue to be noticed in areas of southern and
central Alberta near New Norway, Ft. Saskatchewan
and St. Albert. Refer to the May 12 report for
more background information on cutworms and wireworms:
http://www.canola-council.org/seed/canola-watch/watch-may12.shtml
Grasshoppers
(pest species) have been noticed emerging in many
areas of Alberta. One report indicates grasshoppers
in canola near the Camrose-Killam area where the
grasshoppers were severe in last year’s cereal
crop. Due to the warmer temperatures forecast
for many areas this week, be especially vigilant
for emerging grasshoppers, especially in fields
with high grasshopper pressure last year. For
more background information on grasshoppers, including
identifying pest and non-pest species, refer to
the following website by Dan Johnson at the University
of Lethbridge:
http://people.uleth.ca/~dan.johnson/htm/forecast04.htm
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.