In this issue:
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Seeding delayed in Manitoba
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
Seeding has progressed well over the past week in most areas. Seeding of canola ranges from just getting started in areas of northwestern Manitoba, northern Saskatchewan, northeastern Alberta and the central Peace region to complete in parts of southern Alberta south of Hwy. 3. Seeding was delayed by rains of up to 60 mm throughout central and eastern Manitoba.
Soil moisture conditions across western Canada continue to range from fair to excellent. Surface dryness has spread throughout much of eastern Saskatchewan east of a diagonal line between Hudson Bay and Moose Jaw and in southern Alberta around Brooks, Hanna and Oyen. Timely rains will be needed soon to replenish surface moisture for germination in these areas, especially if conditions remain dry and windy.
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/crprpt050508.pdf
Additional moisture information for Alberta is available from Alberta Environment at: http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/WS/data/precipmaps/weekly.pdf
Soil temperatures improved again this past week with the return of warmer weather, but cool conditions forecast for the middle of this week, especially in Saskatchewan and Manitoba will likely drop soil temperatures again.
Scouting of early seeded canola in parts of southern Alberta and south-western Saskatchewan has turned up minimal frost damage to early seeded crops. Some damage did occur to canola that had emerged, but there was very little frost damage to canola that had germinated and sprouted but was not yet out of the ground. With the cold conditions forecast for this week, the same trends may occur in southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. 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.
Remember that a proper assessment of frost damage cannot be made for several days--until it can be determined whether new growth is appearing from damaged plants.
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 should recover. 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. Refer to Canol@Fact “Tips for assessing spring frost damage in canola” for more information. http://www.canola-council.org/growing_publications.html
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, 80% of the field has a minimum of 20 to 40 recovering healthy plants per m2 (2 to 4 per ft2) and a light weed population, and the remainder of the field has fewer plants. This field probably still has a higher yield potential than one that is reseeded, because it is likely that only the 20% with less than 2 to 4 plants per square foot will benefit significantly from reseeding.
With a higher weed population that cannot be controlled as effectively, the reseeding threshold would increase because the competition will limit the ability of the crop to compensate. The surviving plants will take advantage of the reduced competition for light, moisture and nutrients to produce more yield per plant, compensating for the lost plants. The surviving plants will take longer to mature, but a re-seeded crop will require an even longer frost-free period and have a greater risk of fall frost damage.
Weed growth and emergence of winter annual weeds and volunteer canola remain high in most areas. Many fields have been seeded without a pre-seeding burn-off with the intention of a post-seeding burn-off or early in-crop application. The cool conditions and expected frosts in many areas have led to concerns about the efficacy of the burn-off treatment. Ideally, producers should allow the weeds to recover from the frosts for a few days before applying a pre-seed burn-off. However, light frosts are not likely to do much damage to perennial weeds such as quackgrass and dandelion and damage to annual weeds will be variable. Under these conditions, a burn-off might not work 100 percent but it will likely still be better than doing nothing about weeds before the crop emerges.
Growers are strongly encouraged to assess the number and types of weeds present as well as their growth stage.
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 volunteers. Check the following links for tables of available
burn-off products by crop and weeds controlled:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/cropproduction/pdf/gcp2006/cgp2006weed.pdf
For more information on current product recommendations, check the following links from the provincial governments for their respective Crop Protection Guides:http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/cropproduction/gaa01d01.html
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/DOCS/crops/cropguide00.asp
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex32?opendocument
Cutworms continue to be found in parts of southern Alberta and southwestern Manitoba near Virden. Growers who are expecting emergence of earlier seeded fields should be especially vigilant about monitoring for their presence.
Flea beetles have been found in many areas on volunteer canola, but their numbers and activity have been limited due to the cooler weather.
Although soil moisture conditions are still favorable in many areas, growers need to ensure they seed shallow to facilitate rapid emergence, ideally at a depth of 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. Refrain from chasing moisture when seeding canola. It is usually better to seed shallow and wait for rains to germinate seed than to seed deep and get poor emergence and poor seedling performance from deep seeding, especially at this stage of the season. For growers in areas where surface moisture is starting to be a concern, concentrate seeding into this limited moisture now, and then chase moisture with deeper seeding if needed with cereals or peas that are more tolerant of deeper seeding. Keep any pre-seeding tillage shallow to help maintain the seedbed firmness and moisture. Make sure that seeding rates are high enough to establish the target of 7-14 plants/ft2. http://www.canola-council.org/pdf/early_seed_tips.pdf#zoom=100
Refer to Canol@Fact http://www.canola-council.org/pdf/plant_pop_profit.pdf for further information on establishing proper plant populations.
Target fertilizer rates to expected yields and available moisture. Refer to this Canola Advantage press release for more information: http://www.canola-council.org/about-us/media-news/media-releases/media-may0205.shtml
As well, apply recommended rates of phosphorus fertilizer for the faster pop-up effect and to assist in hastening crop maturity, especially if conditions remain cool and wet.
Remember to begin scouting fields by 10 days after seeding to detect germination problems early. Refer to the following Canol@Fact for more information: http://www.canola-council.org/pdf/seed_to_21days.pdf#zoom=100
Even if surface emergence is not apparent, scrape back the soil and find the seeds. The condition of the seeds can help determine the cause of poor germination. Hard seeds are probably an indication that conditions have been too dry and that more moisture is needed to facilitate germination. If the seeds are soft, seed decay may be taking place.
If the seed coat is cracked, notice the structure of the developing seedling. Seedling turgidity is a function of the emerging hypocotyl remaining rigid and having enough moisture to push through the soil surface. The healthy emerging hypocotyl will be firm and white in colour. If moisture in the seeding zone runs out during emergence, the hypocotyl will dry out and discolour, often turning brown and wilted. This phenomenon is common in areas where soil surface moisture has dried out due to wind or lack of rainfall. The result is patchy emergence. This occurrence is often misdiagnosed as a seedling disease complex such as damping off. Cool dry soil conditions are often the main culprit for poor emergence due to lack of seedling turgidity.
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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