Reassess reseeding: Check yield and quality

Reseeding looked like the right idea in many areas throughout the summer, but the real test is at harvest. If there was no risk of frost and the significant loss of grade and yield that results, we’d have a lot more canola go in after the soils reached 10°C and the spring frost risk was essentially over. Those are the …

Residue management starts in the fall

Shawn Senko's combine looks to be produces an even spread of residue.

Good residue management in the fall will help enhance drill performance, allowing for increased seed survival and an overall better field uniformity in the spring. Changing the angle of vanes on the back of the chopper will help with the width and uniformity of residue spread.

Bought a used combine? Check it for soil

Buying used equipment from a clubroot area can create an unexpected transfer of the disease. We heard this week of a grower from northern Alberta who bought a used combine from a known clubroot area. The grower was surprised at how much soil was on and inside the combine, and this soil very likely contained clubroot spores.

Why do reseeded crops look better this year?

This field was reseeded due to frost and looks good. You'll notice that some of the originals survived.

Various studies and crop insurance data show that canola seeded in early May tends to yield more than canola seeded in late May. Agronomy decisions are based on these trend results. But with the unpredictability of crop production, situations often come along that buck the trend. This year may be one of those years. Why?

No sit Sherlock!

Magnifying glass Gabert small

Canola plants have been going through a lot of stress, and could be showing multiple symptoms. Good sleuthing means leaving the truck seat, putting on your booties and walking the fields. Getting to the bottom of any mystery takes keen observation (got your magnifying glass?), an open mind (the most obvious answer is not always the right answer) and a touch of skepticism (not everything can be cured with a splash of this and that).

Here are some tools to get you geared up for problem solving:

What you need in your scouting toolkit
Canola Diagnostic Tool
How to use photos for agronomy

Managing canola after a June hailstorm

Hail damage. Credit: Beth Trueman

The later hail occurs, the higher the chance of yield loss, given that the plants have less time to recover. Plants with a broken main stem will likely die. Plants at the 6-leaf stage that lose most of the leaf area on the main stem can still live, but these leaves will not regrow. The plant will be delayed, and more of the yield potential — which will be lower than before the hail — will come from side branches.

Lots of reseeding

Canola recovers from heavy frost. Photo credit: Terry Betcher

Widespread heavy frost on the weekend was the last straw for many canola fields that were already under stress from previous frosts, flea beetles, wind, dry conditions and in some cases excess moisture. Growers may choose to reseed as a last effort to save what has been a stressful May for some canola crops. However, canola can be surprisingly resilient — as shown in this photo from Terry Betcher of Swan River, Manitoba.