Don’t let pests sabotage your canola’s recovery.
From Canola Council
June 29, 2009: Constant vigilance will be essential to getting the most out of this year’s canola crop, according to Canola Council of Canada (CCC) senior agronomy specialist Derwyn Hammond.
"Multiple stresses in many regions this year have contributed to uneven emergence and less than ideal plant populations in many canola fields," says Hammond. "Growers should continue scouting their canola fields every few days to prevent pests from sabotaging their crop’s recovery."
Thin stands will be especially vulnerable since any additional stress will impede the ability of the remaining plants to compensate with increased branching and pod production. Hammond says the main insects to watch for at this stage include bertha armyworms, diamondback moths, lygus bugs and cabbage seedpod weevils.
"Pest pressure around the perimeter of a canola field is not always a good indication of what is taking place in the interior of the field. We recommend establishing some quad track pathways to allow easy access while keeping trampling to a minimum. The best patterns are either corner to corner to form an X or a W pattern across the field."
Hammond also advises growers to start sweeping their canola fields after the bud stage to monitor for pests. "The sweep net can be a quick way to capture a sample of what, if any, pests are present on the plants. But when it comes to determining if pests are above economic thresholds, sweep net counts are only appropriate for cabbage seedpod weevils or lygus bugs."
Early flowering is also the time for assessing the potential for sclerotinia stem rot infection. Hammond says growers should start by scouting for apothecia (small golf tee shaped mushrooms that produce the spores) in fields where susceptible crops, such as canola, pulses and sunflowers, were grown last year.
While the more open canopies produced by low plant populations can dry out more quickly, thereby reducing sclerotinia risk, regular precipitation and high humidity at early flowering can still lead to significant disease development. For growers struggling with disease management decisions, Hammond recommends the "Canola Disease Scouting and Risk Assessment Card" available at https://canolacouncil.merchantsecure.com/canola_resources/product11.aspx. This card will assist in deciding if fungicide applications are warranted, particularly where yield potential is reduced by late maturity or low plant numbers.
Finally, Hammond suggests that if plants are not looking healthy, growers should dig up a few plants and check the roots. "A small spray bottle of water can be useful for cleaning off the dirt in order to check for root maggot channels or disease symptoms."
For more information on identifying specific pests, growers should check the Growing Canola section on the Council website for links to information on insects and diseases: http://www.canolacouncil.org/grow_canola.aspx.
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Derwyn Hammond, Manitoba Region, 204-729-9011
Jim Bessel, North Central and North Eastern Saskatchewan, 306-373-6771
Tiffany Gutzke, Eastern Saskatchewan, 306-231-3663
Doug Moisey, East Central Alberta and Northwestern Saskatchewan, 780-645-9205
Matthew Stanford, Southern Alberta and Southwestern Saskatchewan, 403-345-4852
John Mayko, West Central Alberta, 780-764-2593
Erin Brock, Peace Region, 780-568-3326
This media release is supported regionally by:
Alberta Canola Producers Commission; Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission; Manitoba Canola Growers Association; Canola Council of Canada; Peace River Agriculture Development Fund; B.C. Ministry of Agriculture & Lands.
From Canola Council
June 29, 2009: Constant vigilance will be essential to getting the most out of this year’s canola crop, according to Canola Council of Canada (CCC) senior agronomy specialist Derwyn Hammond.
"Multiple stresses in many regions this year have contributed to uneven emergence and less than ideal plant populations in many canola fields," says Hammond. "Growers should continue scouting their canola fields every few days to prevent pests from sabotaging their crop’s recovery."
Thin stands will be especially vulnerable since any additional stress will impede the ability of the remaining plants to compensate with increased branching and pod production. Hammond says the main insects to watch for at this stage include bertha armyworms, diamondback moths, lygus bugs and cabbage seedpod weevils.
"Pest pressure around the perimeter of a canola field is not always a good indication of what is taking place in the interior of the field. We recommend establishing some quad track pathways to allow easy access while keeping trampling to a minimum. The best patterns are either corner to corner to form an X or a W pattern across the field."
Hammond also advises growers to start sweeping their canola fields after the bud stage to monitor for pests. "The sweep net can be a quick way to capture a sample of what, if any, pests are present on the plants. But when it comes to determining if pests are above economic thresholds, sweep net counts are only appropriate for cabbage seedpod weevils or lygus bugs."
Early flowering is also the time for assessing the potential for sclerotinia stem rot infection. Hammond says growers should start by scouting for apothecia (small golf tee shaped mushrooms that produce the spores) in fields where susceptible crops, such as canola, pulses and sunflowers, were grown last year.
While the more open canopies produced by low plant populations can dry out more quickly, thereby reducing sclerotinia risk, regular precipitation and high humidity at early flowering can still lead to significant disease development. For growers struggling with disease management decisions, Hammond recommends the "Canola Disease Scouting and Risk Assessment Card" available at https://canolacouncil.merchantsecure.com/canola_resources/product11.aspx. This card will assist in deciding if fungicide applications are warranted, particularly where yield potential is reduced by late maturity or low plant numbers.
Finally, Hammond suggests that if plants are not looking healthy, growers should dig up a few plants and check the roots. "A small spray bottle of water can be useful for cleaning off the dirt in order to check for root maggot channels or disease symptoms."
For more information on identifying specific pests, growers should check the Growing Canola section on the Council website for links to information on insects and diseases: http://www.canolacouncil.org/grow_canola.aspx.
-30-
Derwyn Hammond, Manitoba Region, 204-729-9011
Jim Bessel, North Central and North Eastern Saskatchewan, 306-373-6771
Tiffany Gutzke, Eastern Saskatchewan, 306-231-3663
Doug Moisey, East Central Alberta and Northwestern Saskatchewan, 780-645-9205
Matthew Stanford, Southern Alberta and Southwestern Saskatchewan, 403-345-4852
John Mayko, West Central Alberta, 780-764-2593
Erin Brock, Peace Region, 780-568-3326
This media release is supported regionally by:
Alberta Canola Producers Commission; Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission; Manitoba Canola Growers Association; Canola Council of Canada; Peace River Agriculture Development Fund; B.C. Ministry of Agriculture & Lands.