In this issue:
(click the bookmarked links below to move to specific sections of this report)
Soil moisture condition vary widely
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
Soil moisture conditions across western Canada continue to range from fair to excess. Most areas have good to excess moisture. Many areas received more precipitation over the past week but some areas in Manitoba received additional heavy rains which exacerbated the already wet conditions. Conditions in much of eastern Manitoba continue to worsen due to extensive flooding damage. Much of Saskatchewan received rainy weather and thunderstorms which increased areas suffering from surplus moisture. The only pockets that would appreciate more precipitation to replenish topsoil moisture are in the northern Peace.
For current maps of moisture conditions from PFRA for western Canada, check the following link:
http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/prpay05_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 and soil moisture map from Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food & Rural Revitalization is available at:
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/docs/reports/crop_report/crprpt050703.pdf
Additional moisture information for Alberta is available from Alberta Environment at:
http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/ws/data/precipmaps/precipmaps.html
Canola crop development ranges from rosette-cabbage for late seeded canola fields to 40 – 50% bloom for early seeded fields. Overall, established canola crops throughout western Canada appear to be in good condition, except for areas that have suffered flooding damage for an extended period of time. These conditions are most prevalent throughout much of Manitoba, eastern Saskatchewan and southern Alberta. Crop development ranges from slightly behind normal to normal. Additional heat forecast this week for most areas should help to bring development closer to normal and help to dry out some of the flooded areas.
The excess moisture in some regions will likely lead to substantial nitrogen losses in low-lying areas. The ample to excess moisture conditions have led to shallow root development in many fields. This can lead to concerns about positional availability of soil nutrients relative to the shallow root growth. If the excess water recedes fairly quickly and the canola recovers, growers may need to consider top dressing additional nitrogen to compensate. As well, growers who were conservative with their initial fertilizer applications for this crop and now find favorable to excellent growing conditions may also consider topping up their nitrogen and sulphur rates by top dressing. Be prepared to conduct crop tissue testing at the appropriate stage and remember that topdressing N and S fertilizer is possible up to the bolting stage - as long as rainfall occurs to move the fertilizer into the root zone. This helps alleviate any deficiencies and/or will enhance yields if sub-optimal fertilizer rates were applied prior to and/or at seeding, or if losses occurred due to wet and saturated soils. Also, ensure rates and field conditions are appropriate to minimize any detrimental effects to the crop, such as leaf burn.
There are continued reports of premature bolting (small and spindly canola plants that are starting to bolt) in parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. There are many questions about how yield potential of these plants will be affected. For a detailed discussion on the impact of leaf area index on crop yield potential, refer to the following Word document link: http://www.canola-council.org/gs_stage1.aspx.
Hail damage continues to be reported in areas that received severe thunderstorms. Potential canola yield losses will depend on stage of crop and the severity of the damage. Hail damage can also allow points of entry for diseases such as sclerotinia stem rot, alternaria black spot and blackleg to infect canola plants. Further information is available at the following link: http://www.canola-council.org/stress_hail.aspx.
Diamondback moth larvae continue to be found in many fields. However, many reports indicate that feeding activity has slowed and many larvae have pupated. Growers should be aware that the next generation will emerge in the next 1 to 3 weeks. Be prepared to scout for feeding activity toward the middle to end of flowering and early seed set. In fields where larvae are still actively feeding, it is important to determine where feeding damage is occurring. Larvae feeding on young buds will cause yield loss due to bud blasting and lack of pod development.
If there are about 100 to 150 larvae per square metre feeding on buds, an insecticide application may be needed to minimize yield loss. Click on the following link for an insect image library which includes an example of bud damage from diamondback larval feeding:
http://www.canola-council.org/images_insects.shtml
For current diamondback moth survey updates, refer to the following links:
http://ncrxeis4.agr.gc.ca/ppmnMaps/
For more information on diamondback moth, refer to the following SAFRR link:
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/DOCS/crops/integrated_pest_management/insects/Diamond.asp?firstPick=
Crops&secondpick=Integrated%20Pest%20Management&thirdpick=Insects
For a picture of a parasitoid wasp of diamondbacks, refer to the following link:
http://www.canola-council.org/parasiticwaspsid.aspx
Cabbage seedpod weevils numbers continue to be quite heavy (up to 14 per sweep) in canola fields near Lethbridge, AB. Insecticide spraying is well underway in these areas and based on current conditions, up to a third of the canola in these areas are expected to be sprayed. At this point, growers should be vigilant for weevils throughout southern Alberta (south of Hwy. 1) and be prepared to spray if populations remain high at early flowering stage. Begin scouting fields at the bud stage with a sweep net to check for levels of both cabbage seedpod weevil and lygus bugs. The current threshold for cabbage seedpod weevils is three to four per sweep at early flowering.
For more information on cabbage seedpod weevils, refer to the following links:
http://www.canola-council.org/csweevil.aspx
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/faq7100
Bertha armyworm moth traps are monitoring adult moth activity throughout western Canada. Moth numbers have been low for most areas. However, trap numbers in the Eaglesham area of the Peace region continue to escalate. Growers should be aware of the increasing numbers and watch for further information.
For more information on the bertha armyworm, refer to the following link:
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/prm2521
For interpreting bertha armyworm trap numbers, refer to the following link:
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/prm2526?opendocument
For current bertha armyworm survey updates, refer to the following link:
http://ncrxeis4.agr.gc.ca/ppmnMaps/20050704_bertha_armyworm_pr.pdf
Alfalfa loopers have been reported in parts of southeast Saskatchewan and the Peace. Damage to this point has been in snipping off buds during the bolting stage and affected areas have been patchy within fields. For more information on alfalfa looper, refer to the following link: http://www.canola-council.org/alfalfalooper.aspx
The high levels of soil moisture in most areas continue to increase the potential for the development of sclerotinia. High soil moisture levels combined with warm temperatures and crops at full ground cover are prime candidates for the development of sclerotinia. Scout for the presence of apothecia in canola fields and in neighboring fields. Apothecia have been found in many fields already and fungicide spraying has been occurring in west-central and northwestern Manitoba, northeastern Saskatchewan and southern and north-central Alberta. There have been many questions regarding how to identify apothecia and on their development. Refer to the following link for a summary on apothecia developed by Penny Pearse of SAFRR from a paper published by McLaren, et al in the Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology: http://www.canola-council.org/pdf/summaryofapotheciaresearchpaper.doc
For further photos regarding apothecia and initial sclerotinia development on leaves (courtesy of Penny Pearse, SAFRR) refer to the following link:
http://www.canola-council.org/sclerotiniaforecast_test.aspx
Many producers are questioning the yield potential of their crops and wondering if spraying to control sclerotinia will be worthwhile. Producers should carefully consider how heavy their crop canopy currently is, target yield and fertility applied, the amount of moisture received in the week before the start of flowering, disease incidence in the past, and the presence of apothecia to help determine whether or not a fungicide application will be needed. Splitting fungicide applications may be an option for some producers.
An initial reduced fungicide application at 20 to 30% bloom will help control early onset of the disease. If conditions become drier, a second application may not be needed. However, if this approach is taken and conditions remain wet and humid, a second application will be needed to maximize the benefits of spraying the fungicide. Producers should assess these factors and consult their local chemical representative to determine if a single or a split fungicide application is needed for their particular situation.
Refer to the sclerotinia checklist to help determine whether or not to spray a fungicide. Click on the following link to obtain more information on forecasting and scouting for sclerotinia, including a copy of the sclerotinia stem rot checklist from the new Canola Growers Manual: http://www.canola-council.org/sclerotiniaforecast.aspx.
For, more information on the life cycle of sclerotinia, refer to the following link:
http://www.canola-council.org/sclerotiniacycle.aspx
For the current list of recommended fungicides for sclerotinia control, refer to Manitoba’s 2005 Crop Protection Guide: http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/cropproduction/gaa01d01.html
Send questions regarding this report to John Mayko, Agronomic Research & Extension Manager with the Canola Council of Canada at maykoj@canola-council.org ph/fax: 780-764-2593.
Direct specific questions regarding regional issues to 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 & Rural Initiatives,
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
Matthew Stanford, Agronomist, Southern Alberta,
stanfordm@canola-council.org, 403-758-6660
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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