What is Taking So Long?

Across the Prairies this spring, emergence is very slow and in some fields, uneven. Research has shown much lower and slower canola germination at low temperatures. Soil temperatures above 5°C have little effect on the time to 50% germination; however, the number of days to 50% germination increases dramatically at temperatures below 4°C (with germination taking as long as 9 days at 3°C or over 12 days at 2°C).The following link has more information on how temperature effects canola growth: http://www.canolacouncil.org/chapter5.aspx. Now is the time to get down and scout to find out what’s happening beneath the soil surface. If emergence is patchy, dig around looking for the reason. Is an insect interfering (eg. cutworms or wireworms)? Is it too dry and the seed is still intact? Is the white, healthy hypocotyl making its way through the soil to the surface, albeit slowly?