In this issue:
(click the bookmark links below to move to specific sections of this report)
Canola swathing ahead of normal
Berthas still a problem on late seeded canola
Cabbageworm moths less damaging than berthas
Adhere to proper pre-harvest intervals
Pay attention to fall flea beetles numbers
Alternaria blackspot found in central Alberta
Reduce clubroot spread
Keep malathion far away from stored canola seed!
Assess seed colour change prior to swathing
Tips to reduce damage from wind blown swaths
Considering straight cutting?
Use ID card to assess abnormal areas in canola stands - then give us some feedback
Report high blackleg levels
Store canola properly
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 20% complete in parts of west-central and northeast Alberta and northern and east-central Saskatchewan to virtually complete in eastern and Interlake regions of Manitoba, southeastern Alberta, and the southwestern Peace region. Combining of early canola continued in most regions with initial yield reports ranging from 10 to 45 bu/ac and low green seed levels. Overall rainfall amounts were lower this past week, but some regions received scattered showers and thundershowers with rainfall amounts up to 25 mm. Isolated hail was also reported in some of these thundershowers.
For current maps of moisture conditions from PFRA for western Canada, check the following links for precipitation from September 1, 2005 to August 20, 2006 and April 1 to August 20, 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/crprpt060820.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 is almost complete but continues on late seeded fields in parts of northwestern and northeastern Saskatchewan. Growers need to 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
Reports continue from most areas regarding large numbers of imported cabbageworm moths. Any larvae emerging from these moths are unlikely to cause any yield loss as they are primarily 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
High flea beetle numbers have been noted during swathing particularly in parts of southeast and southwest Saskatchewan including central areas of the province around Davidson, Outlook and Kenaston. 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.
Alternaria blackspot has been reported in parts of central Alberta near Lacombe. Crops with blackspot 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 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 continue preparing their bins for storage of the upcoming harvest. 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
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 and vice versa, 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, insects and disease 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
Now that general swathing is underway, 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 continue to be rported in areas receiving strong winds associated with local storms. Following are some points to reduce the potential damage from shelling of wind blown swaths:
-Swath back and forth in the direction of prevailing winds, not across
-Use a swath roller to push the swath into the stubble and tuck in the sides
-Leave as much stubble standing as possible to allow for more swath anchoring
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.
Swathing is an ideal time to be watching 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. The Canola Disease Identification and Sclerotinia Risk Assessment Card contains a section on late season scouting with pictures of all of these diseases. Check the following link if you have not received a card yet:
http://www.canola-council.org/PDF/canola_plant_disease_risk.pdf#page=1.
Whether or not you have had a chance to use the card, we are also looking for some information on how you have managed diseases in canola in the past. We would appreciate it if you would click the following link and fill out a brief survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=238782485049
If you have had a chance to use the disease ID card this summer, we would also like your feedback on whether or not you found it useful. The following link will give you the chance to share your opinion on the value of this publication:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=183952490846
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.
The hot and dry weather of this past season has resulted in stubble remaining green and in some cases, re-growing after swathing. In these situations, during combining, watch for the presence of any green material that may be coming into the grain. This green material is likely to cause pockets of localized high moisture within the grain mass in storage, so it is important that the grain is adequately conditioned. For those growers combining canola during warm temperatures, canola storage can also be a concern. This can be compounded by the presence of insects such as grasshoppers and ladybugs in the grain. Be aware that canola binned at high temperatures may be susceptible to heating and spoilage even though it may test dry, particularly if it contains green material such as weed seeds, chaff or insects. Use aeration to bring down the temperature of the binned canola. For more information on safe storage conditions, check the following link:
http://www.canola-council.org/about-us/media-news/media-releases/
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.