In this issue:
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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
Harvest is progressing slowly in many areas due to the generally cool weather and precipitation of this past week. Swathing ranges from virtually complete in many areas of Manitoba, eastern Saskatchewan and southern Alberta to 20% done in parts of central Alberta. Some combining of early seeded canola has occurred in those areas but in general, combining efforts have mainly focused on peas and cereals to date. Most areas received more precipitation this past week ranging from scattered showers in areas of the Peace to over 50 mm in parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
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/crprpt050904.pdf
Hail damage was reported from isolated storms in parts of Manitoba, central and eastern Saskatchewan and in Alberta near Ponoka, Mannville and Vermilion. Producers should remember that damage from shelling is generally more severe in standing canola crops than in swathed crops.
Frost was reported in many areas of Alberta including Carseland, Didsbury, Red Deer, Smoky Lake and Grande Prairie. Although most of these areas had relatively light frost, low lying areas are likely to have sustained more severe damage. Please refer to the August 24 Canola Watch report (http://www.canola-council.org/watch05-aug24.shtml) for a discussion of canola crop management after a frost.
Bertha armyworm activity continues on late seeded fields near Marshall and Paynton in western Saskatchewan, Two Hills and Lavoy in north-central Alberta and north of Debolt in the Peace region. Remember to use appropriate thresholds before deciding on an insecticide application. The lower the canola price, the higher the appropriate threshold for treatment. Use the following link from MAFRI to assist in calculating the appropriate threshold: http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/news/insect/miu05_08_15.html
If numbers are exceeding threshold levels and an insecticide treatment is needed, be sure to choose a registered insecticide with an appropriate pre-harvest interval. This is especially true for canola that is close to reaching maturity, especially if it has already received a previous insecticide application. Do not jeopardize your farm’s revenue and Canada’s reputation by taking short cuts! As crops reach maturity, the pods become drier and tougher and less appetizing to insects. Crops that are swathed will dry down further, thereby making them even less appealing for insect feeding.
For fields that are either currently being swathed or have recently been swathed, post-swathing scouting can be very useful, particularly if plants have developed poorly or ripened prematurely. Also, watch for abnormal areas that have wilted or for prematurely ripening plants within canola stands that are otherwise healthy. It’s an opportune time to add valuable information to the farm records that may influence some decision making in the upcoming season. Be on the lookout for weeds, insects and disease incidence. Fall weed identification can help you plan weed control next spring.
This is also a critical time for insect pressure that could signal 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. The cut stubble allows for an accurate assessment of diseases such as fusarium wilt, sclerotinia, blackleg and clubroot that restrict water and nutrient uptake by plants. Proper identification and assessment of disease incidence may be valuable information for assessing potential risk in next year’s crop.
Alternaria black spot continues to be found in canola crops across the prairies. Crops with black spot lesions covering a large proportion of pod surfaces are at increased risk for shattering and are poor candidates for delayed swathing or straight combining. For more information on Alternaria black spot refer to the following link:
http://www.canola-council.org/alternariasymptoms.aspx
Clubroot continues to be found in fields north of Edmonton near St. Albert, Legal and Fort Saskatchewan. Some of these fields have high levels of infection. Although there is nothing that can be done for these infected crops, growers should employ recommended field sanitary procedures including thorough cleaning of soil and plant residues from equipment to reduce transfer of contaminated material from infected fields to other fields. Avoid using straw from infected fields. For more information on diagnosing clubroot and a discussion on management practices, refer to the following factsheet from AAFRD: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex8593
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, as the season progresses there are an increasing number of reports of crops that were planted early (late April or early May) where the seeds have all been firm and intact for a week or longer, but little to no seed colour change has taken place. 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 and if a frost is likely. In many of these 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. Growers considering early swathing to avoid or reduce green seed levels from frost need to remember that swathing prior to 15-20% seed colour change will likely cause some reduction in yield potential. Also, the canola has to dry down sufficiently to reduce freezing damage and the canola may need to be swathed for several days before this stage is reached, especially if conditions are cool and damp. To learn more about proper field assessment, refer to the revised Canola Council publication "Canola Time of Swathing Guide" or visit the Canola Council website: http://www.canola-council.org/pub_swathing.shtml
There continue to be many questions regarding swathing timing for canola fields with variable growth caused by uneven emergence or stress from early season flooding. As well, some areas that had flooding damage earlier in the season are re-flowering. Growers should assess where the majority of their yield will come from and manage accordingly. If the majority of the field is still green, swathing should start when adequate seed colour change occurs in these areas. In fields where green and mature areas are more equal in size, be sure that seeds in the green areas are firm and no longer translucent. Swathing should be delayed as long as possible to allow for seed colour change to start in the green areas. However, in areas that still have plants that are flowering, ignore these plants at this time as these plants are unlikely to produce quality seed. To minimize losses in the ripe areas, growers should consider swathing in the evening or early morning.
Remember that under cool and wet conditions, swath curing will take longer than usual. Expect to have the crop in the swath for at least two to three weeks to allow for curing and as much de-greening as possible before combining. It is important to utilize swath rollers to anchor the swaths into the remaining stubble in order to limit the potential for wind damage to the swaths. However, growers are encouraged to avoid excessive packing from swath rollers, allowing as much air movement through the swath as possible to facilitate curing and limit disease spread in the swath.
Growers still considering straight cutting their canola this year should keep in mind 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 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 poor candidates for straight cutting due to the probability of greater disease infection through damaged tissue and reduced pod integrity from physical damage. Also, any late season hail often causes greater levels of damage to standing crops than swathed crops.
Frost – crops left standing will be vulnerable to frost damage as long as the seed moisture is high. Therefore, late maturing fields will likely be poor candidates for straight cutting.
Once the crop is harvested, it is important that it is stored properly before marketing. Growers need to ensure that storage bins are clean and free from insecticide residues including malathion. Remember that freshly harvested canola seed can respire for up to six weeks and can begin to develop moist and hot spots within the bin which then cause the seed to heat. Canola should be stored in aeration bins whenever possible, and should be below 15 degrees C and 8% moisture for longer term storage. Refer to the following Canola Advantage press releases for further information on canola storage:
http://www.canola-council.org/about-us/media-news/media-releases/media-aug2905.shtml
http://www.canola-council.org/about-us/media-news/media-releases/media-sept0605.shtml
This is the final Canola Watch report for the 2005 season. We hope you have found these weekly reports informative, interesting and useful. We’ll email you a survey soon so you can tell us exactly what you think of Canola Watch. We want to do even better next year! The 2005 series is posted on the Canola Council website at http://www.canola-council.org/seed/canola-watch/watch-2005.shtml.
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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