Agronomist Notes
Last week gave way to a rapid increase in diamondback moth populations in the eastern portion of my territory, east of Hwy 21 and out to Drumheller. The populations and levels of damage were high enough to justify control. Lygus bug populations have leveled off for my clients; the highest numbers are west of Hwy 21 and west towards Hwy 2 with counts ranging from 3 to 5 per sweep. Bertha armyworms have been insignificant to date and they just started showing up in my fields last week.
Please remember when you’re checking for insects to sweep away from the headland. When checking a field last week, I took ten sweeps along a headland and found 6 Lygus bugs per sweep, which is 3 times the threshold. I walked in 100 yards from that point and found 1.3 Lygus per sweep, which is below threshold. Be sure your fields warrant spraying by doing a thorough job of estimating insect levels. Only sweeping the headlands will give you false estimates.
On the disease front, signs of prematurely ripened canola plants have begun to show up in many fields from Calgary to Three Hills. You can see the ripened heads above the crop as you as you drive by. There are a few possibilities for damage, ranging from sclerotinia, blackleg, fusarium wilt, clubroot or even root maggot. Check the plants to confirm the disease so you can begin to develop a preventative strategy.
Stripe rust continues to be a risk for late seeded wheat fields. I just made the call last Friday to apply a fungicide on CPS Crystal wheat because the stripe rust had reached 3% infection on the flag leaf before grain filling. There was no evidence of the disease on the flag leaf four days before, and after a check on Friday I pulled the pin and recommended fungicide. I preferred not to enhance the late maturity on the crop, as fungicides push maturity 7 to 10 days, but in this case we had no choice. If any variety is susceptible to stripe rust, AC Crystal is the worst in my experience.
Agronomy
Diamondback Moth Generation 2 arrives
Be on the lookout for second-generation diamondback moth larvae this week. They have begun to feed on canola pods in the Drumheller and Rosebud area. The threshold for control at the podding stage is 2 and 4 per plant with a plant population of 8 to 12 plants per square foot.
To get an accurate measure of diamondback moth larvae, you can bring a white tub into the field and shake a number of plants in it to dislodge the green larvae. An unmistakable characteristic is that they wiggle vigorously when you disturb them. I recommended insecticide on 1,500 acres last week because of diamondback moth thresholds and damage.
For more information click on: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex2540
Bertha Armyworm Larvae Show Up
Bertha armyworm moth counts have been relatively high in monitor traps this season. The larvae started to show up in my fields two weeks ago. Now is the time to increase our field visits to every few days, especially in moderate to high risk areas.
Scouting. It's important to monitor larval numbers in each field. Adjacent fields may have very different larval densities, depending upon how attractive the crop was when the moths were laying their eggs. Adjacent fields may also have different-sized larvae, depending on when the eggs were laid.
For accurate larval estimates in a crop, sample at least three locations a minimum of 50 meters apart. Do not sample headlands (20 meters wide) and areas within the crop that are not representative of the field.
At each location, mark out an area of one meter square and beat the plants growing within that area to dislodge the larvae. Push the plants aside or remove them and count the number of larvae in the square meter area. It is important to take your time while counting larvae. Carefully search the soil and leaf litter. The larvae are difficult to see and may be hidden underneath clumps of soil, in cracks in the soil or within curled leaves. Use the average number of larvae at the sites surveyed within each field to determine if the economic threshold has been exceeded and an insecticide is necessary. The larvae range from green to brown to velvety black, with a yellow to orange stripe down each side and a brown head.
Insecticide Application. Economic threshold for spraying is measured in # of larva/m2. Depending on the cost of spraying (chemical and application) and the value of the crop, consider spraying once the economic threshold of 17 - 32 larva/m2 is reached.
Source: Dow AgroSciences
Insecticide Timing. It is important to ensure that the larvae are up on the middle to upper parts of the plant and feeding on the pods. If the larvae are still feeding on leaf material in the lower canopy or the leaf litter on the ground, there will be poorer control. Avoid spraying during high temperatures (above 250C), as the larvae are likely to be in the lower levels of the canopy. Use rates appropriate to the stage of the larvae. Most insecticides recommend a range of rates. Use higher rates when faced with high populations and/or larger stages. Also at the latest stage, ensure that the larvae are actively feeding. Larvae at the latest stage may be inactive on the ground as they prepare to pupate.
Source: Canola Council of Canada
Bertha Armyworm Forecast map:http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/prm11487/$FILE/BAAY7W8c.png
Flea Beetle Pressure to Increase Spring 2008
I’ve noticed an increase in flea beetle numbers in my sweep nets the last two weeks. This is the time to take notice to help you prepare for next year. Flea beetles over winter as adults along field edges and emerge the following spring. If you are seeing heavy populations this harvest or at swathing, you can bet the adjacent fields will be at risk next spring. Taking notes now will keep you proactive and allow you budget for a foliar insecticide or a seed treatment like Helix Extra.
Insect Links
Bertha Armyworm: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex3508
Lygus Bug: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex741?opendocument
Diamond Back Moth: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex2540
Cabbage Seed Pod Weevil: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex2538
Flea Beetles: http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/docs/production/Fleabetl.asp
Evaluate Field Variability Now
This is a perfect time of year to discover in-field variability. Look for areas that have ripened prematurely, lodged severely or contain conspicuous patches of wild oats. Mark out the troubled areas by taking a picture or marking the location with GPS. I can't stress enough to begin collecting field data now to help us make better decisions this winter. We all know that once harvest comes, all is forgotten and we've lost another years data. SL
Swath Timing In Canola
We are roughly one week away from seeing the early seeded canola fields swathed. This year's canola crops are showing signs of high variability in maturity. The simple answer is to swath canola at 60% seed colour change and if possible, straight cut at 10 to 12% moisture and put it in aeration. This year will stretch our estimation skills with fields ranging from mature to 60% seed colour change to still flowering. To find out more about proper swath timing, see the following link: http://www.canola-council.org/PDF/swathing_pgs_04.pdf#zoom=100
Market News
CWB Wins Court Battle: For Now
If you wanted to know what the market thought about the CWB’s involvement in marketing feed and malt barley for Western Canadians, look no further than the chart below. Chain of events on August 2: 1) Court rules in favour of CWB, 2) Barley prices on the WCE drop like a hammer. If that doesn’t send a clear message to Parliament I don’t know what will.
Harvest Weather Prediction
The weather this year has been a carbon copy of what happened in 1970. That being said, I inquired with my weather source, Ray Garnett, about the harvest conditions during 1970. The overall prairie harvest was good with little damage to hard red spring wheat, 80% graded 1 or 2 CWRS with protein about 13.2%. That’s a positive note and most late seeded crops have caught up to near normal maturity with the hot weather in July.
USDA Yield Report Out Friday
The USDA will release its much-anticipated field survey based yield estimates for corn, soybeans and wheat this Friday. The USDA's monthly crop report will also include adjustments to its demand estimates. The current prediction is for corn to fall from its 150 bu/ac average down to 148 bu/ac, which will spring corn prices back upward. The soybean yield prediction is 42 bu/ac, up from the USDA's 41 bu/ac estimate last month. This would still produce the smallest crop since 2003, still leaving us with tight oilseed stocks. Good news for canola growers indeed.
Excellent Rains Across US Corn and Soybean Belt
Between 2 and 4 inches of precipitation fell last Thursday through Monday across the US Midwest corm and soybean belt. The rainfall outlook for this coming week is positive.
Source: Jerry Gidel, NARMS
World Wheat Update
Following a tight supply picture from last year, some of the world's major wheat exporting countries are facing sharp crop losses again this year, due to wet weather or hot and dry conditions. As a result, US wheat prices have reached 11-year highs. World wheat stocks are headed to 30-year lows, USDA says.
Europe's wheat yields alone have been estimated 14.0 million metric tons below April forecasts. Canada's wheat crop is fighting extreme heat, Russia and western Australia's crop is called good so far, but it's not made yet. In eastern Europe, drought stress has been the big story. Hungary's 2007 corn crop is expected to come in at three to four million metric tons, half of the initial expectations, as extreme heat killed some two thirds of the overall crop.
While some areas of eastern Europe had sufficient moisture during the growing season, other areas were hit hard by the drought. The impact of drought in some other Eastern European countries, such as Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria is more evident. In Moldova and Romania, grain production dropped half of the previous year.
France, Germany and the UK make up over 60% of the EU's total wheat production. All three countries are experiencing major harvest delays and threats to production due to the ongoing wet weather.
Source: Agweb.com
UK Wheat Exports Cut In Half
The actual size of the UK crop is uncertain. Yield reports are varying considerably but our best estimate at present is that the UK wheat crop will total between 14 and 14.4 MMT. This gives a surplus for export at a maximum of 1 MMT, roughly half that of last year.
Source: http://www.gleadell.co.uk/MarketReport.htm
EU Rapeseed Production Down
EU-27 rapeseed production is now expected to be sharply lower than previously thought after crops in SE Europe have died off in the drought and crops in the North and West have been deluged with some of the worst summer rains on record. Yields across the EU are expected to be down 3% at 2.90t/ha, the lowest for 4 years and 14% lower than the record yields in 2004. Given normal growing conditions this season’s planted area should have produced a crop in excess of 18.5 MMT, but this crop now looks like it is only going to make 17.3 MMT.
