In this issue:
(click the bookmark links below to move to specific sections of this report)
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
Crop development continues to be ahead of normal in all regions due to hot and dry weather
this season. Swathing ranges from just beginning in some areas of east central Saskatchewan to nearly
complete in areas of southeastern Alberta, southwestern Saskatchewan, the Manitoba Interlake and the BC Peace. Combining of early canola
continued in central and eastern Manitoba, southwest Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta. Most regions received some moisture and a
return to cooler temperatures last week, with rainfall amounts ranging from a trace to over 100 mm. The welcome moisture will help to
fill out the pods on crops still standing and will help to cure crops already swathed. Isolated but in some cases severe hail was
reported around Morden MB, around Delisle and Waldheim SK, and near Penhold AB.
For current maps of moisture conditions from PFRA for western Canada, check the following links for precipitation from September 1, 2005
to August 14, 2006 and April 1 to August 14, 2006 respectively:
http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/prpay06_e.htm
http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/prpgs06_e.htm
http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/pa_e.htm
The latest crop report from Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives is available at: http://web2.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/mwcr/
The latest crop report from Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food & Rural Revitalization is available at:
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/docs/reports/crop_report/crprpt060813.pdf
Additional moisture information for Alberta is available from Alberta Environment at:
http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/WS/data/precipmaps/weekly.pdf
Spraying for bertha armyworm larvae has subsided but continues in northwest Manitoba near Swan River, Roblin and Erickson, in Saskatchewan east of North Battleford and near Rosthern and Birch Hills, and in Alberta near Vulcan, Wainwright, Paradise Valley and Vermilion.
Timing of insecticide application for bertha control is critical. It is important to ensure that the larvae are up on the middle to upper parts of the plant and feeding on the pods. If the larvae are still feeding on leaf material in the lower canopy or the leaf litter on the ground, there will be poorer control. Avoid spraying during high temperatures (above 25 degrees C), as the larvae are likely to be in the lower levels of the canopy. Use rates appropriate to the stage of the larvae. Most insecticides recommend a range of rates. Use higher rates when faced with high populations and/or larger stages. Also at the latest stage, ensure that the larvae are actively feeding. Larvae at the latest stage may be inactive on the ground as they prepare to pupate. Parasitism of bertha larvae has been noted in many areas of Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta and this may reduce the need for an insecticide application. Look for dead larvae clasping to plant stems as one common sign that parasitism is occurring.
Although spraying has subsided, many fields may still be at risk in the above mentioned areas. This most likely will be the case in later seeded fields where leaf material is just beginning to fall off. Frequent scouting for bertha armyworm is still critical to avoid significant yield loss. Scouting for larvae should occur in the cool parts of early morning or late evening when they are actively feeding. In crops with good vegetative growth remaining on the plant, the larvae will be found feeding on leaves in the lower part of the crop canopy. In crops where most of the leaves have fallen off, search for larvae under leaf litter on the ground, especially if scouting during hotter parts of the day. Although numbers may be high, if the larvae are at the lower canopy levels, insecticide application would be premature. However, once the larvae finish consuming the lower leaf material, they can move rapidly to the upper canopy and begin feeding on pods. Frequent scouting throughout the day is not unreasonable in these conditions and will enhance the effectiveness and timing of any required insecticide applications.
Proper identification of bertha armyworm larvae is important as they can be confused with
other larvae especially in their early development stages. In particular, larvae of the cabbage
worm moth have been confused with early stages of bertha. Cabbageworm larvae are leaf feeders and
rarely move up in the canopy to feed on pods, so are much less damaging to yield than bertha
armyworms. For more information regarding bertha armyworm identification, please refer to the
Canola Scouting and Sweep Net Insect ID Card and the following links:
http://www.canola-council.org/berthaidentification.aspx
http://www.canola-council.org/PDF/sweepcard_pgs_04.pdf#page=1
For further tips on bertha identification, thresholds and control, refer to last week’s Canola Watch report:
http://www.canola-council.org/Canola-Watch-Report-16.html
Spraying for lygus has been reported in southern Alberta near
Vulcan, High River and Blackie. For appropriate identification and control, refer to the following ink:
http://www.canola-council.org/lygusbugs.aspx
High populations of diamondback moths have been reported from the Interlake region of Manitoba. Most crops are either swathed or are very close to swathing, so damage is expected to be minimal. As well, high flea beetle numbers have been noted during swathing particularly in parts of eastern Saskatchewan. Growers should pay attention to flea beetle numbers during swathing as this gives an indication as to the potential flea beetle pressure the following spring.
If a pesticide application is made to control any pests in-crop, ensure that appropriate pre-harvest intervals are followed. Pre-harvest interval refers to the time from application of product until the point at which the crop is cut (swathed or straight cut). Ensure that the appropriate preharvest interval is followed to eliminate chances of excess residues appearing in the resulting crop, and damaging markets. Refer to the following links for information on pre-harvest intervals for some common pesticides and description of the importance of following pre-harvest intervals:
http://www.canola-council.org/pre_harvest.html
http://www.canola-council.org/general_pesticide_link.html
Clubroot continues to be noted in fields surrounding Edmonton, near St. Albert, Fort Saskatchewan and Leduc. Since the occurrence is more widespread and severity appears to be worse than in previous years, growers must do all that they can to reduce the spread to other fields. Recommended practices at this time of year include ensuring that all equipment is cleaned as well as possible before moving from field to field, especially in fields known to contain the disease. Also, do not bale straw from fields known to be infected. For more information on clubroot, refer to the following AAFRD link:
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex8593
At this time of the year, growers are preparing their bins for storage of the upcoming harvest. It is important to note that malathion and other similar insecticides should not be used to treat grain bins for insects prior to storing canola. Although this practice is common for cereal crops, oilseed crops like canola can absorb the malathion from the bin surfaces and the resulting residues have been found in crop delivered to elevators. Therefore, DO NOT use malathion to treat bins destined to store canola from the upcoming harvest. Refer to the following link for further information:
http://www.canola-council.org/pesticide_link2.html
This season’s hot and dry weather continues to cause purpling and premature plant colour change in many canola fields, especially in the upper parts of the canopy exposed to the sun (click on the following link for photo: http://www.canola-council.org/Canola-Watch-Report-15.html ). This is a relatively normal response to stress and growers need to ensure that seed colour change is occurring when assessing the proper time to swath. The colour of mature plants and pods will vary among varieties as they mature. Some will appear ripe on the outside before the seeds are mature, so avoid using plant colour as a gauge to proper timing. Open up pods on the main stem and look at the colour of the seeds to accurately assess swathing timing. Refer to the following press release for more information on swathing in hot, dry weather:
http://www.canola-council.org/about-us/media-news/media-releases/media-jul2606.html
Recent research indicates that the optimum stage to swath for both yield and quality is up to 60% seed colour change. This enables many growers to start swathing at 30% to 40% seed colour change without sacrificing significant yield or quality. It widens the "swathing days" window for all growers, including those with large canola acreages. When conditions are hot and dry, avoid swathing. Swath during cool evening hours, at night or early in the morning to allow plants to dry down at a slower rate. This reduces the chance of green seed. Swathing at this time may also alleviate shatter losses from hail and bertha armyworm damage that many areas experienced this year.
When assessing seed colour, also check seed firmness. Under cool conditions, seeds near the top of the plant may continue to fill and become firm before the lower seeds begin to turn colour. Also, be conscious of disease-infected or hail-damaged fields and do not let the premature ripening of the diseased or damaged plants influence the time of swathing. Realize that the bulk of the yield is likely still coming from the healthy plants. A better strategy than swathing early to capture more yield is to swath during dew periods to prevent shattering of the damaged plants. 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.html
As general swathing nears, there are many fields that have varying stages of maturity in them. Producers must estimate where the majority of the yield in the field will be. Swathing to avoid shatter loss on hill tops may not leave enough time for proper seed color change in greener low spots to occur. This may result in yield loss in the low spots where there is usually more yield.
Windblown swaths have been reported in areas receiving strong winds associated with local storms. Following are some points to reduce the potential damage from shelling of wind blown swaths:
Another valuable tool to consider as swathing approaches is the use of a pre-harvest glyphosate to control weeds for next years’ crop. It's the most consistent and effective treatment for many perennial weeds, providing an effective and economical alternative to in-crop applications. Refer to last week’s Canola Watch report for further comments on pre-harvest applications: http://www.canola-council.org/Canola-Watch-Report-14.html
There are more growers considering straight cutting their canola this year. To be successful, consider 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 and drought.
Disease – the crop should be relatively free from diseases including blackleg, fusarium wilt, sclerotinia, clubroot 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.
Insect Damage – crops with significant pod damage from insect feeding are more prone to shatter and are poorer candidates for straight cutting.
During fall scouting for proper swath timing and late insect scouting producers should watch for abnormal areas that have wilted, or for prematurely ripening plants within canola stands that are otherwise healthy. These areas may be indicators of diseases such as fusarium wilt, sclerotinia, blackleg and clubroot that restrict water and nutrient uptake by plants. It is important to accurately identify what is causing the damage and properly document the information for future reference and decision making.
New strains of blackleg have been found in Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan in recent years. Efforts are being made to determine the occurrence and prevalence of these new strains. Growers who notice elevated blackleg levels in MR and R rated varieties and who would like to participate in the survey should collect samples and have them tested to determine what strain is present. Interested growers should e-mail Dr. Dilantha Fernando at d_fernando@umanitoba.ca for sampling and shipping instructions.
Direct questions regarding this report to John Mayko, Agronomic Research & Extension Manager, maykoj@canola-council.org, 780-764-2593
Direct specific questions regarding regional issues to one of the following Canola Council of Canada agronomists or provincial oilseed specialists:
Derwyn Hammond, Agronomist, Manitoba,
hammondd@canola-council.org, 204-729-9011
Arvel Lawson, Manitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural Initiatives,
alawson@gov.mb.ca, 204-745-0340
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
Penny Pearse/Scott Hartley, Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food & Rural Revitalization,
ppearse@agr.gov.sk.ca / shartley@agr.gov.sk.ca , 306-787-4671 / 306-787-4669
Doug Moisey, Agronomist, Central Alberta,
moiseyd@canola-council.org, 780-645-3624
Jackie Heck, Agronomist, Peace River Region,
heckj@canola-council.org, 780-835-5261
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@gov.bc.ca, 250-784-2559
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; 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.