Growers can use strip trials on their own farms to test how a particular practice or product performs in a local environment.
Growers may encounter a few glitches the first time they take a drill to the field. A large investment in canola seed can escape out the drill pretty quickly if the seed metering system is set wrong. Peas run through the drill a little more slowly. And because fine tuning a drill means getting out and checking a few rows…
Growers are reminded to make sure they seed registered varieties. Some older varieties that were once registered have been “deregistered” — they have been removed due to their negative effects on export markets. More than 80% of Canada’s canola crop is exported around the world, so it is critical that our canola meets the requirements of our export customers. If…
Growers in areas with excess moisture in 2010 or 2011 or both may not have a good handle on their soil nutrient reserves unless they get a soil test. Nitrogen levels may be very low in the top 6” due to denitrification and leaching, which both increase when soils are wet. Nitrogen reserves may be higher at lower depths, and…
While fall and winter soil tests give growers more time to plan fertilizer rates and place orders, spring fertilizer tests are the most accurate in predicting the soil nutrient situation at seeding time. Labs may be able to provide results within a few days or a week, so spring tests can be done without holding up the seeding process. Sample…
A number of new fertilizer products are on the market, including seed coatings that contain small starter amounts of macro- and micronutrients. On canola seeded at the equivalent of 5 lb./ac., the rates per acre of any seed-coated nutrient will be very low. Growers considering these products are encouraged to leave test strips (link to tips on how to do…
Anticipating a very wet spring, some growers are wondering whether to broadcast canola seed while the ground is still frozen. That way, they at least have a chance of getting a crop if the ground stays wet into June. This might work, but beware the following risks: Expect a poor and uneven stand. Canola can start to germinate at temperatures…
A one in four or one in three canola rotation is still the best way to manage blackleg. A one in two year rotation, no matter how one manipulates it, is higher risk. For example, available evidence does not support that a crop sequence of canola-canola-wheat-wheat is better than canola-wheat-canola-wheat. Latest research indicates that blackleg severity tends to be highest…
Growers working on their canola budgets for 2011 should include disease management costs. Sclerotinia was widespread in 2010 (except in dry regions of the Peace) and sclerotinia spores will be around in big numbers in 2011. With the heavy snow pack, moisture will not be a limiting factor for sclerotia to germinate this spring and produce apothecia. Given these conditions,…
Growers testing their own wheat and barley seed for farm-saved use have seen some very low germination results — especially if those crops were harvested from regions with delayed harvest due to excess moisture. Some of those growers are wondering about the quality of canola seed. Be assured that No.1 certified canola seed must have a minimum 90% germination at…