Any crop damage might not be revealed until harvest
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
The mercury dipped below freezing in parts of the Prairies overnight Tuesday.
Some areas of Manitoba experienced eight hours of frost, including Oakburn, Man., which saw the temperature drop to -4 C.
The chilly temperatures were not all that surprising for producers.
“Frost events are difficult because one weather station might say something much different. This one is kind of on par to maybe slightly early, but we expect to get hit with it around this time of year,” Angela Brackenreed, an eastern Manitoba agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, told Farms.com today.
Canola producers may not be able to see any crop damage if they scout after the frost, she said.
“There is certainly canola that’s at risk for frost damage, but it’s too early to tell how bad it could be,” she added. “The biggest issue for canola is locking in green seed, which would impact quality issues. But we won’t have any idea until the crop comes off the field.”
Areas of Alberta and Saskatchewan were also under frost advisories Tuesday night.
Some communities in both provinces witnessed temperatures from from 18 C during the day to as low as -3 C overnight.
Any potential damage might depend on the crop’s progress.
“Some crops are probably far enough along to be able to withstand some of the frost,” Paul Tastad, general manager of Western Ag Professional Agronomy in Saskatchewan, told Farms.com today. “We knew the frost was going to come anyway, so now it’s a matter of hoping it doesn’t do too much damage.”
Initial symptoms of frost damage in canola
Canola Council of Canada photo