Home / Canola Watch / September 26, 2018 – Issue 26
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Soil tests for clubroot can have two objectives: 1. Is the clubroot pathogen present? (Yes/No test) 2. What is the resting spore count per gram of soil? (Quantitative test)…
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Clubroot has been identified in a canola field south of Calgary in Southern Alberta. Although clubroot has been found in various counties in Alberta since 2003, this is the first confirmed case of the disease in Rockyview County. For more about the discovery and what to do about it…
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Question: After a couple of bad years, cash flow is tight. How can a farm reduce fertilizer costs while still keeping the door open for a good rebound yield? Answer: (1) Soil sampling is often more valuable after a bad year because reserves could still be high. A soil test may show higher than expected carryover. Note that after a…
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Canola that still has a lot of green seed might not de-green that much further. Green may have been locked in by frost and if more de-greening was possible, it probably should have happened already with the moisture over the past two weeks. When good harvest opportunities arise, the best bet at this stage of the season is probably to…
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Field observations suggest that blackleg may be increasing in some areas. Official disease survey results for 2018 will be announced at Western Forum October 17-19. In the meantime, farmers and agronomist may still have time to count the percentage of plants that are diseased…
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Frost that comes with snow can actually help desiccate a fully-mature canola crop and any weed patches present, helping to prep canola for straight combining. If snow flattens the mature crop, do not swath…
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The combine chopper is an important tool for residue management. When harvesting in tough conditions, make sure chopper blades are in good shape and knives are sharp…
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Counting stubble density in the fall can help growers determine if their spring seeding rate was adequate to reach the crop’s yield potential. Canola generally needs a bare minimum of 4-5 plants per square foot to reach its yield potential…
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Farmers are asking if there's anything they can apply to get harvest moving. The answer is no, nothing that comes from a bottle. A return to warm, dry conditions will get harvest progressing again…