Soil Moisture Still Poor to Excess

Unseasonably cool and dry conditions prevailed across the prairies last week.  Spotty rainshowers and a few snow flurries meant additional moisture was received but these events were quite localized.

As a result, soil moisture conditions continue to range from poor to excess. In Manitoba, much of the Red River Valley (approximately 96,000 acres) still remains submerged under the swollen Red River, although water levels have receded 7 feet from the peak. The rest of agroManitoba has good to adequate moisture. In Saskatchewan, soil moisture conditions range from dry to adequate. In southern Saskatchewan, it continues to be dry north of #1 highway and west of Gravelbourg. Seeding is continuing in these areas but germination will likely not occur until precipitation is received. Soil moisture conditions are extremely dry in the Major and Kerrobert areas where soil moisture probes will only reach a two-inch depth in some fields. Conditions also continue to be dry in the thin-black soil zone around Unity, Marshall and Cutknife where soil moisture probes reveal less than a foot of moist soil. Canola seeding is progressing and seeds may germinate but will require additional precipitation shortly. Some producers believe it is too dry to seed canola and are waiting for conditions to improve. In eastern Alberta, the dry pocket around the Coronation, Consort, Sedgewick areas still exists. Seeding is continuing in this area but slowly as producers wait for conditions to improve. Across the remainder of Alberta there is growing concern about the rapidly depleting soil moisture. Seeding operations are continuing but additional precipitation is needed very soon.

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 from Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food & Rural Revitalization is available at:
http://www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/crprpt090430

The latest crop report from Alberta Agriculture & Food is available at:
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sdd4191

Maps of current moisture conditions in western Canada from PFRA are available at:
http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/prpay09_e.htm
http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/prpgs09_e.htm

Additional moisture information for Alberta is available from Alberta Environment at:
http://www.environment.alberta.ca/forecasting/data/precipmaps/weekly.pdf
http://www.environment.alberta.ca/forecasting/data/precipmaps/monthly.pdf

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Seeding Well Underway

Seeding operations progressed late last week and over the weekend. Where conditions are wet, acres are being seeded on a field by field basis. Seeding in the wetter areas is probably five to 10% complete. In the drier areas, seeding of cereals and pulses is nearing completion and seeding of canola is becoming more general this week with some producers having more than 50% already seeded.

Less Than Ideal Conditions
Surface soil moisture is rapidly depleting in many regions and soil temperatures remain cool. In many areas, frost is occurring nightly. These conditions are extremely stressful on canola seedlings and will affect germination and emergence. Unless conditions improve, assuming only about 50% of the seeds planted will result in a healthy seedling as a best-case scenario, should be a reasonable estimate for calculating appropriate seeding rates. Recognizing that yield potential starts to drop when seeding is delayed after mid-May, what can be done to maximize seedling survival prior to planting?

If seeding early into cold, dry soils consider the following strategies:
• Chasing moisture is not the way to go. Seed shallow and wait for spring rains.
• Target a consistent seeding depth of ½” to 1”. It may be necessary to slow down to achieve this consistency.
• Because of changing soil conditions and the potential for mechanical issues with drills, check the seeding depth periodically, particularly when moving field to field.
• Maintain a reasonable seeding rate or potentially bump seeding rates up by 10%. For help with estimating environmental impact on emergence rates (assuming no seeding management issues), check out the Canola Emergence Predictor at the following link: http://www.canola.ab.ca/agronomic/calculators.html.
• Canola seed size can be quite variable. Take note of the seed size (TSW should be marked on seed tags or seed bags) and adjust seeding rates accordingly. A seeding rate calculator can help with the planning: http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/app19/calc/crop/otherseedcalculator.jsp
• Place fertilizer (in safe amounts) near the seed to optimize efficiency.  Seed-placed phosphorous can give a pop-up effect especially under cool conditions.

For more seeding tips go to the Seed SMART information http://www.seedsmart.org/ from the Canola Council of Canada.

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Grow an Export Ready Variety

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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Keep Good Records

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 things such as 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 or cloth bag in a cool, dry place. Keeping records and seed samples can help if/when diagnosing an issue later in the season.

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Time for a Germination Check

Some areas have had canola seeded for almost two weeks now. You may question the viability of the seed, especially under recent growing conditions. Even if surface emergence is not apparent, scrape back the soil and find the seeds. The condition of the seeds can help determine the state 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 temperatures may be all that is needed to correct the problem.

If the seed coat is cracked, note the structure of the developing seedling. Seedling turgidity is a function of the emerging hypocotyl remaining rigid and having enough moisture to push through the soil surface. The healthy emerging hypocotyl will be firm and white in colour. If moisture in the seeding zone runs out during emergence, the hypocotyl will dry out and discolour, often turning brown and wilted. This phenomenon is common in areas where soil surface moisture has dried out due to wind or lack of rainfall. The result is patchy emergence. It is often misdiagnosed as a seedling disease complex such as damping off. Cool, dry soil conditions are often the main culprit for poor emergence due to lack of seedling turgidity.

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Frost on Emerged Canola

Frost has been reported regularly and the forecast for the coming days remains cool with over-night frost in many areas. If canola has emerged, remember a proper assessment of frost damage can’t be made for several days, until it can be determined if new growth is appearing on damaged plants. One benefit of the growing conditions this spring is that they have been conducive to acclimatizing canola seedlings. These cool growing conditions may help the tiny seedlings tolerate light frosts.

For more information on assessing frost damage in canola see the following link:  https://canola-council.merchantsecure.com/canola_resources/product37.aspx

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Pre-Seed Burnoff Gives Canola the Edge

Weeds that emerge before or with a canola crop will cause greater yield losses than weeds that emerge after the crop is established (approximately the 4- to 6-leaf stage). The purpose of either a pre-seed burnoff or post-seed, pre-emergent herbicide application is the same: to protect a young canola crop from the yield losses that result from early season weed competition for moisture and nutrients. For example, data from Canola Production Centre trials showed average yield increases of about 15% when comparing a pre-seed burnoff treatment to a no burnoff treatment in direct seeding situations. Consider the use of a pre-seed burnoff, if weed populations warrant application. Pre-seed burnoff timing is approaching in many areas so scout diligently to ensure the small annuals that are starting to emerge are not missed. It may pay to park the seeder for a few hours and scout fields destined for canola.

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Herbicide Options - Systemic vs. Contact

Cool growing conditions have limited the amount of weed growth in fields this spring. These cool conditions can also affect herbicide performance. Formulation and target weeds must be considered when deciding on the time required between application and disturbance from tillage or seeding. Remember that glyphosate is a systemic herbicide that needs time to work for maximum control. Additionally, with temperatures getting close to or dipping slightly below zero at night in many areas, it is recommended to only spray glyphosate after temperatures have warmed the following day. A hard frost will require a longer recovery time as plants must be assessed for new growth before applying the herbicide. Weeds must be actively growing to ensure herbicide uptake and maximum kill.

Cleanstart contains a contact herbicide in addition to glyphosate to provide control of glyphosate-tolerant volunteers. Contact herbicides work best under warm growing conditions and when weeds are small (1-to 3- leaf stage). So when conditions are cool, should you wait and spray larger weeds?  Timing is more critical than temperature. Weed burnoff should continue even though growth is slow.  Coverage is very important with contact herbicides. Research at AAFC suggests that efficacy of Cleanstart drops dramatically as spray quality (droplet size) increases and carrier volume decreases so consider a combination of at least a medium spray quality with a minimum water volume of 7 gpa when using Cleanstart as a burnoff.

Remember that no other tank mixes are registered for volunteer canola control ahead of canola. Phenoxy herbicides (2,4-D and MCPA) can leave a residue for as long as three weeks in the soil and must not be used prior to seeding canola. Don’t jeopardize your seed investment by sabotaging emergence with herbicide residues. Always read and follow product labels before application.

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Many Acres Seeded Without A Burnoff

Continued cool conditions have resulted in many acres being seeded without a pre-seed burnoff application. In these fields, weed control may be achieved post-seeding but prior to emergence. Post-seeding herbicide applications can be effective when well managed. Weeds should be assessed post-seeding for mechanical damage and dust cover. Herbicide application must occur before the crop emerges for some herbicide systems – the window is limited so scout diligently and watch the weather.

For more information on registered herbicide options for pre-seed or pre-emergent weed control in canola see the following links:
http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/app23/herbsel
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/cropproduction/gaa01d01.html
http://www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/Guide_to_Crop_Protection

More tips on pre-seed burnoff are available at: http://www.monsanto.ca/_pdfs/seeds_traits/gk_alert.pdf

More information on pre-seeding weed control is available from Reduced Tillage Linkages: http://reducedtillage.ca/article63.aspx

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First Flea Beetles Reported

One good thing about the cool conditions lately is not much insect activity has been reported.  However, in Grand Prairie County of the Peace River Region striped flea beetle feeding has been observed. Striped flea beetles tend to be more active under cool conditions. As conditions warm in the coming weeks, be on the lookout for more widespread flea beetle activity.

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Monitoring the Winds

Diamond-back moth is an insect that is “imported” each year from the southern United States and Mexico. The insect is carried on strong winds from the south into the canola growing areas of western Canada. Again this season, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are keeping an eye on the wind. Wind trajectories at the altitude where diamond-back moth fly are being closely watched.  This monitoring can be an early indicator for a potential diamond back moth threat.  So far the trajectories have not been favorable for diamond-back moth transportation/importation.

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Collect Your Wireworms

Wireworm has been seen in fields that have been taken out of perennial forage in southern Alberta. Fields that were just recently taken out of perennial forage production should be evaluated for canola production suitability. Since there are no control measures for wireworm in canola, this must be done on a field by field basis. AAFC is conducting a wireworm survey and encourages samples be submitted. If wireworms are found while scouting, collect one or more and place them in a small container (eg. film roll container or pill bottle) along with some loose soil. Identifying which species of wireworm are occurring in which areas will help with developing control measures in the future. Samples can be sent to:

AAFC Agassiz

Attention - Todd Kabaluk

6947 Highway 7
PO Box 1000
Agassiz, British Columbia V0M 1A0

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Clean for Clubroot

A soil test in west-central Saskatchewan has shown the potential presence of the clubroot pathogen’s DNA. Further testing is being conducted to confirm the results and determine whether the pathogen is viable. This incidence emphasizes the importance of equipment cleaning, especially when moving from affected or suspected areas to clubroot-free areas. Check the following news release from SaskCanola for more information: http://www.saskcanola.com/news/2009-0504-clubroot.html

For more information on cleaning equipment and other precautions go to http://www.clubroot.ca/

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Questions & Contacts

Direct questions regarding this report to John Mayko, Senior Agronomy Specialist with the Canola Council of Canada at maykoj@canolacouncil.org, 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, Senior Agronomy Specialist Manitoba, hammondd@canolacouncil.org, 204-729-9011
Anastasia Kubinec, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, anastasia.kubinec@gov.mb.ca, 204-745-5645
Jim Bessel, Senior Agronomy Specialist, Central Saskatchewan,
besselj@canolacouncil.org, 306-373-6771
Tiffany Gutzke, Agronomy Specialist, Eastern Saskatchewan, gutzket@canolacouncil.org, 306-231-3663
Venkata Vakulabharanam, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, Venkata.Vakulabharanam@gov.sk.ca, (306)787-4668
Doug Moisey, Senior Agronomy Specialist, East Central Alberta and Northwestern Saskatchewan, moiseyd@canolacouncil.org, 780-645-9205
Matthew Stanford, Agronomy Specialist, Southern Alberta and Southwestern Saskatchewan, stanfordm@canolacouncil.org, 403-345-4852
Erin Brock, Agronomy Specialist, Peace Region, brocke@canolacouncil.org,
780-568-3326
Murray Hartman, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, murray.hartman@gov.ab.ca, 403-782-8024
Kerry Clark, BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, 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:
Alberta Canola Producers Commission; Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission, Saskatchewan Canola Growers Association, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, Manitoba Canola Growers Association, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Peace River Agriculture Development Fund, B.C. Ministry of Agriculture & Lands, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the Canola Council of Canada.

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