Most years, there’s a wide variation in Saskatchewan fields. Seldom is it as extreme as this year. In many cases, the millions of acres of unseeded and flooded land is a mess. It was too wet for good weed control early in the season. It’s common to see waist-high weeds that are drying down from a herbicide application with the telltale ruts from the sprayer tires filled with water. In some cases, as the land dries, producers are resorting to tillage to break down the weed residue and fill in the ruts. While some of the crops in the wet zones are stunted and spindly, there are also some good crops, although many of them are two or three weeks late. On the western side of the province where the flooding wasn’t as serious, there are some absolutely excellent crops. If hail and frost stay away, there will be producers who harvest their biggest crop ever. Contrast that with producers who didn’t get a single acre seeded and you get an idea of the tremendous range in fortunes across the province. I’m Kevin Hursh.
DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.
Tags: ag products, ag services, agricultural products, agricultural services, crop protection, crops, custom application, Dynagra, Fertilizer, finance solutions, herbicide, herbicide application, precision ag, precision agronomics, Saskatchewan, soil fertility, tillage, Variable Rate Technology, VRT, weed control, weed residue, weeds
It has been a whacky spring and summer for weather. While the western Prairies are suffering from drought, there continues to be too much rain in parts of Manitoba. On Sunday and Monday, areas east of Winnipeg received a huge amount of rain – as much as 5.5 inches near the community of St. Joseph. There’s standing water in the fields. Meanwhile, in parts of Alberta, there have been reports of frost in recent days. According to the Canola Watch report from the Canola Council of Canada, temperatures of minus one were reported near Beaverlodge, Leduc and Ryley on Sunday night and Monday morning. Grain traders follow weather and crop reports very closely during the growing season. The trade factors in information as it becomes available, but the way the growing season has been going, you have to wonder if there could be some major production surprises still to come. Has the true extent of the drought been factored into production estimates? Crops are late. What if there’s a widespread, earlier-than-normal killing frost? Producers are becoming reluctant to part with grain because production prospects seem very uncertain this year. I’m Kevin Hursh.
www.hursh.ca
Kevin Hursh, PAg, CAC
Tags: crops, rain, reports, Weather
Crop growth and development is variable within many fields in western Canada. A common question being asked is when is the best time to spray? Each field should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Keep in mind a few important points:
- The first step is to scout. Scout the crop for signs of stress (moisture) and the weeds to determine what weed species are present and at what stage.
- Weeds that emerge ahead of or at the same time as the canola crop will cause the most yield loss.
- The following link provides information on time of weed removal: https://canola-council.merchantsecure.com/canola_resources/product36.aspx
- Generally it is best to wait for recovery before spraying crops under stress. However, crop tolerance is less of a concern if weed pressure is high (and impacting yield). Evaluate the field to determine what is causing the greater stress.
- Stressed canola plants will begin reproductive growth earlier than normal (less vegetative biomass produced before initiating buds). Crop damage (flower blast) and yield loss can occur when herbicides are applied to a crop in bud or bolting stages. However, weed pressure also causes yield loss. Scout the field thoroughly to determine average crop stage and to determine which stress is most limiting (weeds vs. compromised crop tolerance). Keep in mind that herbicide injury can also delay crop maturity, which is a definite concern this year.
- Some growers are noticing that the grassy weeds are present and need to be controlled, whereas broadleaf weeds are slower to emerge. While research has shown that sequential applications are rarely economical, in this situation, it may be practical to split apply herbicides. This is especially true in drier areas where weeds are competing for precious moisture.
- If herbicide dollars are limited, spray early with the first application and re-assess the need for a second application later. Remember that some weeds (e.g. wild buckwheat) get more expensive and much tougher to control as they get bigger.
The following link has more information on weed control in canola: http://www.canola-council.org/contents10a.aspx
Tags: crops, growth, spraying, weeds
