Canola Watch

2006 Canola Watch Reports

Canola Watch Report No. 1 Western Canada – April 27, 2006

In this issue:
(click the bookmarked 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

Canola seeding has begun in only a few areas of western Canada - in southwestern Saskatchewan and in the Peace region near Falher. The majority of fieldwork to date has been in field preparation such as rock picking, harrowing, soil sampling and fertilizer application. Many areas report some seeding of peas and wheat, but general, seeding is not expected until next week.

Soil moisture conditions range from fair to excessive across western Canada. Recent flooding has left many areas of eastern Manitoba and eastern-northeastern Saskatchewan quite wet. However, recent warm, dry and windy weather is helping to dry up these areas. Small pockets of dryness remain in parts of southwestern Saskatchewan. Much of Alberta north of Red Deer has had below normal winter precipitation and most of the Peace region has only poor to fair topsoil moisture.

For current maps of moisture conditions from PFRA for western Canada, check the following links for precipitation since September 1 and April 1 respectively:
http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/prpay06_e.htm
http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/prpgs06_e.htm

The latest crop report from Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food & Rural Revitalization is available at:
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/docs/reports/crop_report/crprpt060423.pdf

A drought report for 2006 is available from Alberta Agriculture, Food & Rural Development at http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/ppe10715/$file/
Alberta_Drought_Report_for_Agriculture_y2006_m04_d10.pdf?OpenElement

Additional moisture information for Alberta is available from Alberta Environment at:
http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/WS/data/precipmaps/weekly.pdf

Soil temperatures are generally good for this time of year in most areas of the prairies due to the warm temperatures in most regions over the past couple of weeks.

Many areas, such as eastern Manitoba, eastern and northern Saskatchewan and central Alberta have fields that are badly rutted from excessive moisture during last year’s harvest. Growers need to be vigilant in timing their spring tillage to avoid problems with lumps, clodding and compaction of soils that are worked too early.

Many areas experienced record or near record crop yields last year, drawing down the levels of available nutrients, especially nitrogen. As well, wet conditions in many areas over the fall, winter and spring may have led to nitrogen losses from de-nitrification. More than ever, growers need to do a proper soil test to determine levels of available nutrients especially in light of near record fertilizer prices. Growers should soil test for nitrogen this spring to determine their soil nitrogen status at various depths in the soil profile. For further background information on the importance of spring soil testing, refer to the following Canola Council of Canada press release:
http://www.canola-council.org/about-us/media-news/media-releases/media-apr1906.html

Weed growth and emergence of winter annual weeds and volunteer canola have been prolific in many areas due to the combination of favorable moisture conditions and warm soil temperatures. Growers are strongly encouraged to assess the number, growth stage and types of weeds present prior to burn-off applications. This will assist in determining the proper product or tank-mix as well as the rate that may be required. Control of early germinating weeds is important in minimizing moisture and nutrient loss and reducing crop competition to establish a healthy and competitive crop stand. For more information on early season weed control, refer to the following Canola Council of Canada press release and Canol@Fact:
http://www.canola-council.org/about-us/media-news/media-releases/media-apr1805.html
http://www.canola-council.org/PDF/CPCweedcontrol.pdf#zoom=100

Herbicide rotations need to be monitored for any potential residual problems, especially in areas where dry soils are reported. Look back at least two years to see what herbicide rotation has occurred. Potential problems may occur with repeated use of Group 2 herbicides. If there is a risk of herbicide carryover in a field, consider growing a less susceptible crop.

For more information on current product recommendations, check the following links from the provincial governments for their respective Crop Protection Guides:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/cropproduction/gaa01d01.html
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/DOCS/crops/cropguide00.asp
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex32?opendocument

Freezing night time temperatures have been reported throughout the Prairie provinces. Growers are reminded to wait for day time temperatures to reach 8°C to 10°C for at least two hours before spraying their pre-seed burn-off. Check label recommendations of the burn-off product used for specific recommendations.

Make sure seeded canola varieties are Canola Export Ready - Reports from most areas indicate that there is still a lot of indecision with regards to canola varieties. With a lot of decisions still to be made in the next few weeks, it is imperative that growers do not seed any deregistered varieties that may impact export markets. Refer to the Canola Council of Canada website link for more information on the Canola Export Ready program and on which varieties and pesticides are not approved for use in Canada:
http://www.canola-council.org/export_ready.html

Although soil moisture conditions are favorable in most areas, growers need to ensure they seed shallow to facilitate rapid emergence, ideally at a depth of 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. Keep any pre-seeding tillage shallow to help maintain the seedbed firmness and moisture. Make sure that seeding rates are high enough to establish the target of 7-14 plants/ft2. For more early seeding tips, refer to the following Canol@Fact: http://www.canola-council.org/PDF/early_seed_tips.pdf#zoom=100 and to the following web link for tables estimating plant populations under different survival levels:
http://www.canola-council.org/PDF/Apr5%20Canola_Charts.pdf

Refer to Canol@Fact for further information on establishing proper plant populations. As well, apply recommended rates of phosphorus fertilizer for the faster pop-up effect in cooler areas to ensure more uniform crop maturity.

Before seeding canola into fields that have experienced patchy emergence in the past, growers should scout these patches for potential wireworms. It is important to scout fields where wireworms have been seen or suspected in the past, as they can potentially spend 4 or more years of their life cycle as larvae in the soil. Wireworms prefer cool, moist soil and tend to be actively mobile in the top six inches of the soil. Early in the growing season, they are attracted to the carbon dioxide produced in the germination process and will come to the surface to feed on emerging plants. This is the time when they will cause the most damage to crops, usually by shredding below ground plant tissue. Whole potatoes buried in marked locations in a field in the spring or from early to mid August will indicate whether wireworms are present. Bury the potatoes 10 to 15 cm deep then dig them up after a couple of weeks, and examine them for wireworm tunnels. Monitor your fields each year.  Another suggested method for using grain bait stations for monitoring of wireworm is outlined in the following web link from OMAFRA: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/pub811/6wire.htm#technique

To sample for larvae, sieve the soil through a screen. Mark out areas 50 cm x 50 cm and sieve the soil to a depth of 15 cm (6 inches). Repeat in different areas of the field to determine an average number of larvae per square metre. If wireworms are found to have significant populations on a particular field, canola should not be planted there as there are no chemical controls for wireworms in canola.

Direct questions regarding this report to John Mayko, Agronomic Research & Extension Manager with the Canola Council of Canada at maykoj@canola-council.org  ph/fax: 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

Rob Park, Manitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural Initiatives,
rpark@gov.mb.ca, 204-745-5665

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, 780-853-5261

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,  250-787-3213

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.

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