Canola Council

Canola Watch

2004 Canola Watch Reports

Canola Watch Report No. 21 Western Canada – September 15, 2004

The Alberta Canola Producers Commission (ACPC) has developed an Alberta focused version of this report. Visit the ACPC website at: http://www.canola.ab.ca

Cool, wet weather continues to slow crop development and delay swathing. In most areas, swathing this past week was limited due to rain, snow (in the Peace region, north central Alberta and northwestern Saskatchewan), and wet fields. Most canola growing areas received more rainfall over the past week, ranging from a trace to over 2". Fields remain very wet in much of Manitoba, parts of Saskatchewan, north-central Alberta and the Peace region.
For current moisture condition maps across western Canada, visit this PFRA page:
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.gov.sk.ca/newsrel/releases/2004/09/13-546.html
The latest crop report from Alberta Agriculture, Food & Rural Development is available at:
http://www.gov.ab.ca/acn/200409/170332F8DDFD1-6AEE-4040-89B3757FD0C0B8EE.html
Additional moisture information for Alberta is available from Alberta Environment at:
http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/WS/data/precipmaps/weekly.pdf

Combining progress this past week was limited to parts of southern Manitoba, southern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan and the northern Peace.

More frost was received this past week across most regions of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Although the severity of most of these frosts was limited (-1°C), later seeded fields that were still very immature are likely to have considerable damage. The amount of frost damage is dependent on various factors including crop stage, degree and length of frost, relative humidity, and presence of rain or dew. For a more detailed discussion on the effects of frost, refer to the following SAFRR pages:
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/docs/crops/frostdamage.pdf
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/docs/crops/oilseeds/frost_greenseed.pdf

The slow pace of crop development and seed maturity continue to be a concern. This includes watery seeds in upper pods of late-seeded and hail-damaged fields. Although previous recommendations advise waiting until all seeds are firm before swathing, with the delayed crop development this year growers should consider swathing late fields soon to maintain yield and quality of the lower pods that contain the more mature seed. Although the seed in the top canopy may be immature and not contribute much to final yield, it is unlikely at this stage of the season that much more development will occur, especially if weather remains cool and damp.

Swath curing will take longer than usual under these cool and wet conditions. There are reports from Manitoba of green canola stalks after three weeks in the swath. Be patient and expect to have the crop in the swath for at least three weeks to allow for curing and as much de-greening as possible before combining. Limit the degree of packing from swath rollers to allow as much air movement through the swath as possible, which will facilitate curing and limit disease spread in the swath.

For fields that are either currently being swathed or have been swathed very recently, post-swathing scouting can be very useful, particularly if plants have developed poorly or ripened prematurely. It’s an opportune time to add valuable information to the farm records that may influence decision-making in the upcoming season. Be on the lookout for weeds, insects and disease incidence. Current weed identification can help plan for weed control next spring. This is also a critical time for insect pressure and may give an indication of future pressures. For example, high flea beetle numbers this fall may indicate similar pressures next spring. As a result, consider seed treatments with extended flea beetle control. Scouting for disease is also very important during this time. Proper identification and assessment of disease incidence may be valuable information for next year’s crop when assessing potential risk. For more information on some of the diseases that may be observed following swathing, see the following Canola Council pages:

Sclerotinia:
http://www.canola-council.org/sclerotiniasymptoms.aspx
Alternaria:
http://www.canola-council.org/alternariasymptoms.aspx
Blackleg:
http://www.canola-council.org/blacklegsymptoms.aspx
Graystem:
http://www.canola-council.org/graystemsymptoms.aspx
Brown girdling root rot:
http://www.canola-council.org/browngirdsymptoms.aspx
Clubroot:
http://www.canola-council.org/clubrootsymptoms.aspx
Fusarium wilt:
http://www.canola-council.org/fusariumsymptoms.aspx

More growers plan to straight cut their canola this year, including crops with frost damage. To be successful, consider the following factors:

Crop Canopy – the crop should be well knitted and slightly lodged to reduce the chance of pod shelling and pod drop. Frost can affect pod integrity (including petiole strength) which influences pod drop.

Diseases – the crop should be relatively free from diseases including blackleg, fusarium wilt, sclerotinia and alternaria. These diseases can cause premature ripening, which can in turn cause pod shattering.

Hail -- Crops affected by hail are likely poor candidates for straight cutting due to the probability of greater disease infection through damaged tissue. Also, any late season hail often causes greater levels of damage to standing crops than swathed crops.

Reports continue to be received on the slow activity of Reglone or glyphosate to speed up and even out crop dry down. Herbicide activity is related to crop uptake and temperatures. The cool, cloudy conditions over the past few weeks are not conducive to quick herbicide activity. Be patient in assessing herbicide activity under these conditions.

There are reports of canola harvested at 17% moisture. Canola harvested tough or damp, can start to heat quickly, especially if there are appreciable levels of dockage or green seed. Dry this canola down to safe moisture levels, especially if storing for longer periods of time! Proper conditioning is especially critical for frost damaged canola. Growers using drying equipment should pay particular attention to the drying temperatures used. Excessive plenum temperatures can result in dryer fires!! Monitor plenum and grain temperatures carefully and regularly to reduce the chances of disaster.
Refer to the following pages for further information on storage and conditioning of canola:
http://www.canola-council.org/store.aspx
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/crop1301
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/docs/crops/oilseeds/graindrying1.asp

Direct questions regarding this overall report to John Mayko, Agronomic Research & Extension Manager with the Canola Council of Canada at maykoj@canola-council.org or ph/fax: 780-764-2593.

For specific questions regarding regional issues associated with this report, consult one of the following Canola Council of Canada regional agronomists or provincial oilseed specialists;

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,
m ardellc@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.

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