The Canola Council of Canada is reminding producers that in the first three weeks after emergence, each canola field deserves an hour or more of close scouting per week. Keith Gabert, an agronomy specialist with the council, says this time pays off quickly if it means stopping flea beetles that have reached economic levels of damage, or making a better decision on herbicide tank mixes and rates to get weeds that are bigger or more plentiful than expected. He adds scouting can be squeezed in when weather conditions, such as wind, make spraying impossible.
Seedling and early rosette stages are critical times for canola. Plants are tiny and vulnerable and need regular scouting to make sure they're protected. Gabert says in fields where plant counts are below 7 per square foot, it's extra important to protect those plants to maintain the crop's yield potential. At this time of the growing season a number of things could be looked at: seeding issues, plant stand, frost damage, weeds, flea beetles, cutworms, and seedling diseases.
Gabert says this is the perfect time to check that the seeding job measured up to expectations, and if seeding equipment met its needs. Growers should look for emergence patterns that may indicate an issue with depth control, leveling, compaction, packing or speed that can be adjusted for next year.
He also recommends growers record the plants per square foot at various locations to see how well canola established with the combination of variety, seeding rate, equipment and moisture. Growers should keep this information along with seeding rate, rainfall before and after seeding, soil temperature at seeding, and general soil conditions. This data will help establish and understand seedling survival rate.
On the weed front, Gabert says pre-seed and/or early in-crop are the most economic times to spray for weeds. This gets weeds when they're small and easier to control, and before they can take up moisture and nutrients required for the crop.
Growers should also be scouting for insects such as flea beetles and cutworms, along with signs of seedling diseases, which are more common in canola seeded too deep into cool and wet soils. Stem damage near or below the soil surface is likely seedling disease. Nothing can be done to stop seedling damage, but identifying the problem can help with planning for next year.
Gabert says after three weeks, canola plants are usually well established, competitive and can sustain more damage. A canola crop, though, is never free from threats and scouting should continue all season long, but the weekly attention is critical this time of year.
Source: Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development