Seeding progress during the past week again varied greatly from region to region. In Manitoba, 50-75% of the canola acres are seeded, with the central and eastern regions almost complete. Seeding in the southwest and western is about 25-50% complete, and the parkland region is 5-30% complete.
In Saskatchewan, 5-10% of the canola has been seeded in the northeast, and up to 65% seeded in the northwest (such as Cutknife). Most other areas are reporting 10-30% seeding completed. A few areas such as the west central region, the southwest and southeast are waiting to resume field operations after moisture delays.
Seeding was limited in many areas of Alberta due to snow and rain last week. Some progress was made in southeast near Oyen and Drumheller (up to 30% complete), the northeast near Lloydminster and Marwayne (up to 65% complete) and central Grande Prairie County. Field operations were beginning to resume over the weekend.
Seeding in the B.C. Peace also resumed late last week after the snow, and seeding is widespread in that region.
Most areas of western Canada received more moisture as either rain or wet snow over the past week. Most regions have good to excellent moisture for germination and early crop development except for areas in the Manitoba Interlake where surface soil moisture is limited.
For current maps of moisture
conditions from PFRA check
out the following links:
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
Canola seed vigour concerns
have been reported. Growers
are interested in determining
the vigour of the seed they
are using and as to what
constitutes a seedlot with
good vigour. This is a complicated
topic that has been under
considerable research in
recent years. Several seed
vigour tests are currently
being assessed to determine
their practical use. For
more information on seed
and seedling vigour, visit
the following links:
http://www.canola-council.org/pub_vigour.html
http://www.canola-council.org/PDF/seed_fact_sheet.pdf
Frost has been noticed in many areas of Manitoba and northeast Saskatchewan, but damage to emerging canola is slight. The amount of frost injury will depend on moisture conditions, rate at which thawing occurs, the growth stage of the plant, and the amount of cold temperature hardening the plant has experienced. Canola seedlings will usually recover from a light spring frost that does not damage the plant’s growing point. A light frost that wilts the leaves, but does not cause any browning will not injure the plants. Some discoloration of the leaves may occur, usually a yellowing or whitening especially under drought conditions. Wait several days following the frost to determine the extent of the damage and whether or not the growing point has been killed. If there is any green colour at the growing point in the centre of the frozen leaf rosette, the plant will recover and yields will be higher than if the field is worked and reseeded. Under good growing conditions green re-growth from the growing point should occur in four to five days. Under poor growing conditions--cold and/or dry--this may take up to 10 days.
To evaluate a frost damaged field, walk a diagonal path across the field and evaluate all plants in a 1/4 m2 (3 ft2) every 20 paces and note each sample. This should result in 50 to 100 samples. Calculate the percentage of the field that has adequate plant recovery. For example, 60% of the field has a minimum of 20 to 40 recovering healthy plants per m2 (18 to 36 per yd2) and a light weed population, and the remainder of the field has fewer plants (may even be none to spotty). This field still has a higher yield potential than one that is reseeded, especially if it's the last week of May or first week of June. With a moderate weed population that cannot be controlled, the plant stand should be 60 to 70 recovered plants/m2 (55 to 60 per yd2). The surviving plants will take advantage of the reduced competition for light, moisture and nutrients, and grow larger, producing more branches, pods and seeds per pod, compensating for the lost plants. The surviving plants will require five to eight days longer to mature, but a re-seeded crop will require an even longer growing period and have a greater risk of fall frost damage.
Favorable moisture conditions have led to considerable weed growth for this time of year, especially winter annuals, narrow-leaved hawksbeard, dandelion wild oats and volunteer canola. A relatively uncommon weed, American dragonhead, has been found in many fields in northeast Saskatchewan. This weed is similar to other common weeds and has been improperly identified during scouting. For additional information on this weed, go to the following link from Manitoba Agriculture: http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/weeds/fab51s00.html
Most areas have reported a large increase in pre-seed burn-off applications compared to previous years. Ensure the right rate of glyphosate is used for burn-off applications as well as required tank-mixes to take care of special weed concerns such as Roundup Ready canola volunteers. The following are the tank mixes recently registered by Monsanto for control of Roundup Ready canola volunteers.;
| Cost Effective Solutions for Control of Volunteer Roundup Ready Canola | ||
| Tank Mix Options | Prior to Crop Emergence of: | Cost |
| Roundup (1/2-3/4 L/ac) Buctril M (0.2-0.4L/ac) |
Wheat, barley, rye,
oats, corn, flax, canary
seed and 14 different seedling grasses |
$8.18/acre+ |
| Roundup (1/2-3/4 L/ac) MCPA Ester (0.2L/ac) |
Wheat, barley, rye, oats, flax | $6.38/acre+ |
| Roundup (1/2-3/4 L/ac) MCPA Amine (0.2-0.28L/ac) |
Wheat, barley, rye, oats, flax, corn, field peas | $6.18/acre+ |
| Roundup (1/2-3/4 L/ac) 2,4-D Amine 500 (0.24-0.6L/ac) |
Wheat, barley, rye | $6.22/acre+ |
| Roundup (1/2-3/4 L/ac) 2,4-D Ester 600 (0.2-0.5L/ac) |
Wheat, barley, rye | $6.32/acre+ |
PrePass® from Dow AgroSciences and EXPRESS® Toss-N-Go® + Roundup from DuPont are registered for control of Roundup Ready canola volunteers in pre-seed burn-off situations.
More flea beetles have been noticed in many areas of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and southern Alberta, although feeding to this point has been limited to volunteer canola and overwintered annuals. Tips for monitoring and assessing flea beetle damage of emerging crops was discussed in last week’s report. Cutworms have also been noticed in areas of Manitoba (such as Pilot Mound). Crop emergence is beginning in many areas that had previous seeding progress, therefore, be on the lookout for damage.
Growers who have experienced seeding delays in short season areas are reassessing the maturity suitability of their chosen varieties. Soil moisture conditions are favourable for good emergence. Therefore, although seeding may be delayed when compared to last year, crop emergence may be earlier then last year, as long as growers practice recommended seeding procedures. The accumulation of temperature or Growing Degree Days (GDDs) has a major influence on days to maturity for canola. In the short and mid season zones of western Canada, maturity for B. napus varieties will range from 95 to 125 days, depending on the growing season heat accumulation. Within any particular year, the maturity difference between early and late maturing varieties will range from five to nine days. B. rapa varieties are usually 10 days to four weeks earlier and range from 80 to 115 days to maturity.
First, find out how many days to maturity for the variety that is to be seeded. Typically the variety will be so many days earlier or later or equal to the check. Then take a look at the typical first late summer/fall frost and count back days. For example, if the first frost is August 25 on average and maturity of the check in the area is 103 days, counting back gives a safe seeding period up to May 17. If the variety to be seeded is five days earlier in maturity than the check, this means that in a typical year up to May 22 would be acceptable for that variety. If the variety in question does not meet the requirements, ask your local retailer to suggest other suitable varieties. Alberta growers can check the following link to determine their frost-free days: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex10
The wet conditions that have delayed seeding in many areas may have some growers considering broadcast seeding. However, yields are typically lower for broadcast seeding compared to placing the seed uniformly at a 13 to 25 mm (1/2" to 1") depth. In 18 site-years of research on the prairies, broadcast seeding yielded 5% less than drilled seed, but in several cases the yield loss was 20%. This indicates that broadcast seeding is a higher risk practice than drilled methods.
To avoid disasters with broadcast seeding, ensure the soil is firm before broadcasting. This allows the seed to be placed relatively shallow during the subsequent incorporation. Broadcasting into a loose, fluffy seedbed causes a wide range of final seed depths and rapid drying of the loose layer. The result is uneven germination. Shallow pre-seeding tillage will help maintain the seedbed firmness and moisture.
Good soil moisture, especially following seeding, is required for broadcasting to be successful. Packing after the seeding/incorporation may improve the success of broadcast seeding, but use caution with low organic matter soils that are prone to crusting, or on soils prone to erosion. If mixing canola with a fertilizer formulation, such as 11-51-0 for seeding, only do so immediately prior to planting. Experience has shown that seed viability is not extensively damaged if seeding is delayed for a few days due to adverse weather, provided the mixture is stored under dry conditions. Also, plants are often not able to access nutrients (especially phosphate) from broadcast fertilizer as efficiently as from banded sources, so increase rates accordingly.
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 & 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.