Canola Watch
2006 Canola Watch Reports
Canola Watch Report No. 2
Western Canada – May 3, 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 progressed slowly in a few areas of western Canada - including central, eastern and Interlake regions of Manitoba, southern and north-western areas of Saskatchewan, southern Alberta and the eastern Peace region. Many areas report more seeding of peas and cereals, but in general, seeding of canola is not expected until the end of this week or beginning of next week.
Soil moisture conditions range from poor to excessive across western Canada. Recently, rain and in some cases, snow has been experienced across most parts of the west, except for the Peace region. Amounts received range from only a trace up to 50 mm. Areas of eastern, northern and northwestern Saskatchewan remain wet and in need of warm and dry weather to dry up the fields before starting general field operations. Small pockets of dryness remain in parts of southwestern Saskatchewan and most of the Peace region’s topsoil moisture is dry, especially in the Grande Prairie area.
For current maps of moisture conditions from PFRA for western Canada, check the following links for precipitation since September 1 and April 25:
http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/prpay06_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/crprpt060430.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 remain 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.
Soil test results to date indicate a wide range in amounts of available soil nutrient levels. 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
As well, when considering application of sulphur fertilizer, remember that for canola sulphate forms of sulphur should be used in the spring, especially where sulphur deficiency is likely. Past research has shown that sufficient conversion of elemental sulphur fertilizer to available sulphate forms is unlikely in the year of application, especially when incorporated. Elemental sulphur fertilizers may be useful as part of a soil nutrient building program, but should not be counted on for correcting canola nutrient deficiencies in the year of application. For more information on sulphur nutrition for canola, refer to the following Canola Council of Canada media release:
http://www.canola-council.org/about-us/media-news/media-releases/media-apr2106.html
Prolific weed growth continues throughout many areas of the Prairie Provinces. With extensive weed growth, pre-seed burn-off applications should be considered. In the event that a pre-seed burn-off is not feasible, then a post-seeding, pre-emergent burn-off may be an option. Growers need to ensure that they complete a post-seeding burn-off soon after seeding, before crop emergence occurs (except for Roundup Ready canola which can be sprayed with glyphosate any time before the six-leaf stage). With ample soil moisture and warm soil temperatures, weed growth will advance quickly. Growers should also ensure that they are able to spray these fields early with their in-crop herbicide applications in case the opportunity for a burn-off application is missed, to reduce losses in crop yield potential from weed competition. 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 media 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
Ensure the right rate of glyphosate is used for burn-off applications as well as required tank-mixes to take care of special weed concerns such as Roundup Ready volunteers. Be especially aware of the limitations for some product tank mixes before seeding canola. Check the following links for tables of available burn-off products by crop and weeds controlled:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/cropproduction/gaa01d29.html
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
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.
Make sure seeded canola varieties are Canola Export Ready - Reports from most areas indicate that there is still a lot of indecision about 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 many areas have not been able to start seeding so far this year, growers should not yet get in a panic regarding seeding of canola. Significant yield reductions generally do not occur until seeding after around May 25, so growers should remember to use proper seeding procedures.
With favorable soil moisture conditions 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. Seed slow to make sure that seeding depth remains as uniform as possible and to minimize mixing of fertilizer and seed bands when side-banding during seeding. 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@Facts:
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 http://www.canola-council.org/PDF/plant_pop_profit.pdf for further information on establishing proper plant populations, and to the following for information on factors that may impact seed survival:
http://www.canola-council.org/PDF/seed_to_21days.pdf#zoom=100
As well, apply recommended rates of phosphorus fertilizer for the faster pop-up effect in cooler areas to ensure more uniform crop maturity.
Growers who are seeding with air seeders or air drills should refer to the following Canol@Fact regarding tips for optimizing operation of their seeding equipment:
http://www.canola-council.org/PDF/May2_4FS_Air_Drill.pdf#zoom=100
Before seeding canola into fields that have experienced patchy emergence in the past, growers should scout these patches for potential wireworms. Refer to last week’s Canola Watch report for more background and scouting information on wireworms: http://www.canola-council.org/watch06-apr27.html
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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