Canola Council

Canola Watch

2004 Canola Watch Reports

Canola Watch Report No. 20 Western Canada – September 9, 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 weather continues to slow crop development and delay swathing. In Manitoba, swathing of early seeded fields continues, with overall swathing progress at about 40%. Swathing progress in Saskatchewan ranges from 20% in parts of the northeast up to almost complete in the Swift Current area. Fears of imminent frost sped up swathing in central and northern Alberta with progress ranging from 50% in central regions to complete in the south. Most canola growing areas received more rainfall over the past week, ranging from a trace to 6". Fields remain very wet in much of Manitoba, parts of Saskatchewan, north-central Alberta and the Peace region. Up to 2" of snow fell in 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.agr.gov.sk.ca/docs/reports/crop_report/crprpt040906.pdf
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, southwestern Saskatchewan and the northern Peace.

Sprouting of both swathed and standing canola has been reported in most regions. The wet conditions coupled with possible frost damage have made the seed unstable and prone to sprouting damage. For crops to be swathed, reduce swath density as much as possible by decreasing swath roller pressure and making your swaths as wide as possible. This will also help to reduce the spread of diseases such as sclerotinia and alternaria through the swath.

More frost was received this past week across many areas of central Saskatchewan and areas of central Alberta including Coronation and Lacombe. Although the severity of these frosts was not as great as those on August 19-20, later seeded fields that were still very immature are likely to have little recoverable grain yield. 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

Many questions continue to be raised regarding the time of swathing as it relates to the frost damage. In normal years, the optimum stage to swath for both yield and quality is up to 60% seed colour change on the main stem. However, the early frosts and abnormally cool weather have altered the decision making process.

There are many reports of fields with seeds that are firm and intact for a week or longer, but with little to no seed colour change. These fields may be good candidates to begin swathing (as early as 10% seed colour change), especially if the short-term weather forecast remains cool and/or cloudy. In many cases, the crops have been in the ground for up to 120 days and the seeds may be physiologically mature, although outside seed colour remains green. Since the seed is mature, the green will slowly fade after swathing.

Remember that with the cooler and wetter conditions, swath curing will take longer than usual. 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. Growers are encouraged to 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.

Sclerotinia continues to be reported in most areas. Many cases report late season infection, which will have limited impact on yield. For assistance in identifying diseased plants, refer to the following page:
http://www.canola-council.org/sclerotiniasymptoms.aspx

Scouting soon after swathing is an excellent time to assess the sclerotinia infection levels in fields and help in gauging potential sclerotinia pressure for next year.

Alternaria continues to be reported in many areas as a result of the wet conditions. . Refer to the following page for more information on alternaria:
http://www.canola-council.org/alternaria.aspx

There are a number of growers considering straight cutting 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. Remember that pod integrity (including petiole strength which influences pod drop) can be affected by the frost.

Disease – 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.

There continue to be questions regarding the use of Reglone or glyphosate to speed up and even out crop development. Both products kill the plant eventually. But applying either product too early will cause similar problems to swathing too early, with the additional possibility of increased herbicide residues in the crop. Be diligent in following label directions on timing of product application. Also, there are many reports of these products not working effectively this year. Herbicide activity is related to crop uptake and temperatures and that 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 harvested canola coming off at moisture levels of 13%. 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. 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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