In this issue:
(click the bookmarked links below to move to specific sections of this report)
Seeding progressing well
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 many areas. Seeding of canola ranges from 20% done in parts of Manitoba and northern Saskatchewan to virtually complete in southern Alberta south of Hwy. 1. Seeding continues to be delayed by rains of up to 60 mm and wet snow throughout southwestern, central and eastern Manitoba.
Soil moisture conditions across western Canada range from poor to excellent. Surface dryness continues to spread and intensify throughout much of Saskatchewan south of Saskatoon. Drier areas include east-central and southwestern Saskatchewan, southeastern Alberta including Medicine Hat and Foremost, east central Alberta including Drumheller, Oyen, Coronation and Stettler and the north Peace region near High Level and Lacrete. Timely rains are needed soon to replenish surface moisture for germination in these areas.
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/crprpt050515.pdf
Additional moisture information for Alberta is available from Alberta Environment at: http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/ws/data/precipmaps/precipmaps.html
Soil temperatures improved this past week in many areas of Alberta and the BC Peace with the return of warmer weather, but cool conditions (especially night-time lows) throughout many areas of Saskatchewan and Manitoba continue to keep soil temperatures cool.
Scouting of early seeded canola in parts of southern Alberta and south-western Saskatchewan that experienced a couple of hard frosts in the past two to three weeks has turned up some 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. Up to 10,000 acres of canola were reseeded in southern Alberta between Lethbridge-Foremost. Refer to Canol@Fact “Tips for assessing spring frost damage in canola” for more information. http://www.canola-council.org/PDF/may5_Canola_AssessingSpring.pdf#zoom=100
Weed growth and emergence of winter annual weeds and volunteer canola continues in most areas but remains slow in areas of Saskatchewan and Manitoba with cool soil temperatures. Some growers are considering changing their variety-herbicide system in order to handle the changing weed spectrum. 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. Frequent scouting remains important in these fields to assess the number and types of weeds present as well as their growth stage. Ensure the right rate and product(s) are used to control the required weed spectrum.
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 noticed in parts of southern Alberta near Lethbridge, Taber and Brooks, northeastern Saskatchewan near Melfort, Tisdale and Nipawin. Cutworm larvae are known to be particularly destructive to early season plantings, often cutting plants off at ground level. Dig around the affected plants to find the culprit and note larvae size. Large specimens (over 25 mm long) will soon stop feeding and pupate and are also more difficult to kill. If cutworms are still small, and numerous enough to warrant control, apply one of the registered insecticides. Apply surface treatments in the evening, preferably under warm, moist conditions, as cutworms are active at night and these treatments will only control surface-feeding larvae. Do not disturb the soil for five days after treatment. Cutworms are dull grey, brown, or black, and may be striped or spotted. They are stout, soft-bodied and smooth, and up to 1 1/4" (32 mm) long. They curl up tightly when disturbed. Refer to the May 5, 2004 Canola Watch report for more information on cutworms: http://www.canola-council.org/seed/canola-watch/watch-may5.shtml
Wireworms have also been noticed in the BC Peace near Farmington. Wireworms are slender, hard-bodied, wire-like larvae that can damage young plants. They are a yellowish-white to a coppery colour with three pairs of small, thin legs behind the head. The last body segment is flattened with a forked or key-shaped notch. They range in size from 1/2 to 1-1/2” (13 to 38 mm) long. Wireworms do more damage during cool, wet springs, when they remain in the rooting zone of the crop for a longer period of time. They cause damage by cutting underground portions of the stem and roots. There is no insecticide available to treat for wireworm after the crop is planted. Wireworm species can take from two to seven years to complete their development. Since larvae may damage several successive crops, identify fields with wireworm problems now to help with control for future crops. For more information on wireworms, refer to the following links:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/insects/fad28s00.html
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/prm2509?opendocument
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/pests/e188-1.htm
Flea beetles have been found in many areas on volunteer canola, but are becoming a problem in north-central Alberta near Redwater and Waskatenau, where some spraying has occurred even on insecticide seed treated fields. The cooler weather delaying the emergence and growth of early seeded crops, combined with high populations are likely factors in these areas. Remember the damage threshold for action is 25% leaf defoliation in order to determine whether spraying is warranted.
Adult diamondback moths have been found in parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and southern Alberta. Most diamondback moths fly in from the southern US or Mexico from strong, southerly winds. However, the very good physical condition of some of these moths leads some entomologists to speculate that some may have over-wintered. The diamondback monitoring program is being set up in all provinces and we will include links to the web updates of their results as soon as we receive them.
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. 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.
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
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.