Spring Rains and Snowfall but Seeding Still Progressing In Manitoba, soil moisture is bordering on excess in many areas. Rainfall last week was quite general with most areas receiving one to two inches. However some areas of the southwest received as much as four inches. In the northwest, some areas received eight to 12 inches……
2009 - Issue 3
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Seeding operations were halted in many areas due to rain and snow last week and over the weekend. Where conditions are wet, canola seeding is about 10% to 30% complete. Where drier conditions prevail, canola seeding ranges from 50 to 100% complete. A significant amount of the acres intended for canola is expected to be……
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Cool daytime and cold nighttime temperatures prevailed across the Prairies last week. Many areas reported frost on four or five nights with temperatures dipping as low as minus 7oC in some locations. Soil temperatures remain cool causing seeded crops to germinate and emerge very slowly. The following maps show growing degree days (GDD) that have……
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With some areas having canola seeded for almost four weeks, the integrity and viability of the seed has started to be questioned. Much warmer temperatures (mid 20°C’s) are forecast for the coming days. Give the soil time to warm up (three to five days) before making any evaluations or decisions. Soil temperatures will lag behind……
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When scouting, scrape back the soil and find the seeds or seedlings as their condition is an important indicator of germination/emergence. Hard seeds are probably an indication that conditions have been too dry and/or cold to facilitate germination. Unless most of the seeds are soft and seed decay is taking place, additional moisture and/or warmer……
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This spring’s growing conditions are extremely stressful for canola seedlings and can severely affect germination and emergence. As a result, assume (best-case scenario) average emergence will occur. It is realistic to assume only 50% of the seeds planted will result in healthy seedlings. Recognizing that yield potential starts to drop when seeding is delayed after……
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Snow, freezing temperatures on four to five nights and in some areas, heavy frosts (as low as minus 7°C), occurred across the Prairies last week. This may prompt canola growers to consider reseeding. However, resist the urge to reseed immediately, as recovery may turn out to be better than expected, especially if seed has not……
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Ensure your variety is Canola Export Ready. It is very important that no de-registered varieties be planted because they can jeopardize export markets. For more information on which varieties and pesticides are NOT approved for use in Canada visit the Canola Council of Canada’s Export Ready site:http://www.canola-council.org/export_ready.aspx …
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Now is the time of year to have a pen and paper handy. Keep good records. Write things down while details are still fresh. Note seeding date, rate, fertilizer applied, herbicides applied, etc. Always keep a seed sample and the blue seed tag from each variety and seed lot sown. Store stamples in a paper……