Agronomist Notes

Last week’s heat wave was helpful for the late crops but not so much for the flowering wheat and canola. Even with ample moisture in the ground, the plants cannot take up enough water to replace what they lose as they sweat (transpire) to keep cool at 30ºC. It’s hard to predict how big or small of an impact these high temperatures may have. The canola bloom staging has been pushed forward quickly as some early May canola fields are nearly finished blooming. This is a little earlier than normal under such high soil moisture conditions.

I battled with stripe rust decisions last week and that’s why I sent out the stripe rust special edition. In the end, I did recommend fungicide on a fair number of acres in the west part of my territory. It cools down so much at night that the dew sits on the leaves from midnight until 11:00 am the next day. The helpful part of this heat wave is that it’s keeping the stripe rust at bay for now; it spreads at night only to be controlled by the heat during the day. A week of cooler weather and it would be a different story.

My own canola is looking better now and I’m thankful for the two seeding dates, even if it is in one field. The later seeded canola has bigger leaves and a nicer bloom than the early seeded areas. I’ve swept all last week and today and have found insects like cabbage seedpod weevil and lygus bugs have dropped off the map. I think the natural predators have built up enough these last few years to control them. I shouldn’t speak too soon but it’s unlikely those insects will build to any significant levels in my territory. We’ll just have to be ready for the bertha armyworms if they decide to show up again this year.

I’m still seeing a number of canola fields being sprayed for sclerotinia control well beyond the 40% and 50% bloom stage. My tip: Save your money and be better prepared next year. There is no use spraying for sclerotinia past 40% bloom even though the label says between 30 and 50% bloom. The damaging effects from sclerotinia are caused by the early infected petals at 20% to 30% bloom. Later infected petals may cause premature ripening but rarely cut off moisture and nutrients to ripening pods.

This week’s newsletter will provide you with information on bertha armyworm identification and control, forecast maps, a newly discovered phenomenon in wheat, and heat stress in canola.

Agronomy

Hot Weather causes Flag Leaf Necrosis in Wheat

The flag leaf tips and margins in some wheat fields are dying back and look like a potential disease. The symptoms can be described as a dying back of the flag leaf from the tip of the leaf downwards. This is not a disease but rather an effect of hot, dry, and windy weather, a physiological phenomenon called leaf tip necrosis.

The weather injury is caused when the tender flag leaf just emerges during hot and windy conditions and is exacerbated with drought stress. Drought is obviously not the problem this year but tender young leaves with thin cuticles from moist conditions are damaged in the same way. The whole tip of the flag leaf tends to be necrotic (dead tissue) and will often fold over. Leaf tip necrosis progresses from the margins of the flag leaf tip and lower leaves may show some signs of it as well. Also, leaf tip necrosis may be visible on all flag leaves, whereas the dying back due to hot, dry weather may appear on only a portion of the leaves.

The severity of the leaf tip necrosis is dependent on both the wheat variety and the growing conditions during flag leaf emergence and early grain fill. Some varieties have a tendency to show a more leaf tip necrosis than others. 

Source: http://nwroc.umn.edu/Cropping_issues/2006/Issue7/07_05_06_no_3.htm

Heat Stress Damage in Canola

Heat stress is most often associated with temperatures above 25ºC during flowering but heat stress can occur during early pod filling as well. Research has shown that the plants are more sensitive to heat stress at early flowering than at pod fill. For canola, the ideal temperatures for growth are estimated to be between 13 and 22ºC, under good moisture conditions. Research has shown that when the average mean temperature in July and August is above 20ºC, canola yields will decrease. Heat stress has been exhibited at lower temperatures when plants are growing in dry soil conditions (drought stress).

Full article: http://www.canola-council.org/PDF/Canola%20Fact%20Sheet%20-%20Missing%20Pods.pdf

Bertha Armyworm: Everything You Want to Know

Lifecycle & Host Crops- Adult moths emerge from over wintering pupae in mid-June and emergence continues until late July. Depending on the temperature, larvae take approximately six weeks to complete their development. During this period, they moult five times and pass through six growth stages. There is one generation of bertha armyworm per year.
Bertha armyworm feed on a variety of crops and weeds. Canola, rapeseed, mustard, lamb's quarters and related plants are preferred host plants. Bertha will also feed on a range of secondary hosts including flax, peas and potato.

Damage- Small larvae feed on the underside of the leaves, chewing irregularly-shaped holes in the leaves. They usually cause little damage at this stage, even when population levels are high. Crop damage occurs rapidly once the larvae moult to the second-last stage. These larvae are about 1.3 cm (2 in) in length. Larvae in the last two larval stages eat about 80 to 90 percent of the plant material consumed during the life of the larvae.

If the plants, especially canola, drop their leaves before the larvae are mature, the developing larvae will feed directly on the seed pods. Seed pods may be "debarked," but more commonly, the larvae chew holes in the pods and eat the seeds. At high numbers, the entire seed pod may be consumed. Even if the pods are only stripped of their outer green layer and not eaten entirely, crop losses may still occur because of premature shattering.

Identification- The moth has a wingspan of about 4 cm (1.6 in) and is active only at night. The forewing is predominantly gray, and flecked with patches of black, brown, olive and white scales. Near the middle of the forewing, toward the leading wing margin (front), there is a prominent, white, kidney-shaped marking defined with a ring of whitish scales. Near the tip of the forewing, there is a conspicuous white and olive coloured, irregular transverse marking that is characteristic of the species.

Young Larvae identification- Newly hatched larvae are about 0.3 cm (0.1") long. They are pale green with a pale yellowish stripe along each side. Due to their size and colour, they are difficult to see on the undersides of leaves. When disturbed, small larvae may drop off the leaves by a fine silken thread.
       
Mature Larvae identification- At maturity the larvae are about 4 cm (1.6") long, with a light brown head and a broad, yellowish-orange stripe along each side. The velvety black larvae have three narrow, broken white lines on their backs.

Monitoring- For accurate larval estimates in a crop, sample at least three locations, a minimum of 50 m (164 ft) apart. Do not sample headlands (20 m or 66 ft wide) and areas within the crop that are not representative of the field. At each location, mark out an area of one square meter 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. It is important to take your time when 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 application is necessary.

Thresholds- The economic threshold is 20 larvae per square metre or 2 per square foot with $9.00/bu canola and $11.00/ac for insecticide including application. For a table on differing price levels and costs to determine threshold levels, go to:
http://www.canola-council.org/canolamanual/chapter10b.html#ch10b_sec6d

Insecticide Application Tips

• Ensure the larvae are at least 1.3 cm (0.5 in) long (before the fifth in-star larvae appear).
• Apply the insecticide early in the morning or late evening when the larvae are actively feeding. Do not apply during warm afternoons. A single, well timed application of any registered insecticide applied with aerial or high clearance ground equipment is usually effective.
• Use enough water to ensure adequate coverage.
• Use high water volumes in crops with dense canopies.
• Use the higher label rates of application when a range is indicated.

Sources:
Canola Council of Canada:
http://www.canola-council.org/canolamanual/chapter10b.html#ch10b_sec6d
Alberta Agriculture
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex3508

2007 Bertha Armyworm Forecast Map

To see map click on: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/prm11487

Market News

CWB Wheat Storage Program

The CWB is increasing premiums for its Wheat Storage Program, a delivery option that pays farmers a contract premium and storage payment to store high-quality, high-protein, No. 1 CWRS wheat on-farm. To compensate for a lack of bin space due to storing grain under the program, farmers will receive an early delivery opportunity for 2007-08 crop equal to the number of tonnes committed to the WSP, in addition to regular delivery calls in effect. The program deadline is July 31, 2007.

Source: http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/farmers/contracts/wsp/

USDA Production & Supply Highlights

• US barley crop is expected to be around 231million bushels, 28% above 2006 and 9% higher than 2005.
• US spring wheat, other than durum, is forecast at 498 million bushels, 8% above 2006.
• Global oilseed production for 2007-08 is reduced 3.2 million MT to 395.7 million MT.

USDA & Global Production & Carryout Highlights

http://www.agweb.com/get_article.aspx?pageid=136945&src=gennews

Corn Not Main Factor in Higher Food Prices

The “food versus fuel” issue is one of rhetoric, not reality, according to an American Farm Bureau Federation economic report. Corn demand to make ethanol has little to do with the recent rise in food prices, said the organization, instead weather and high energy costs are more to blame, the report notes that nearly all the evidence points to factors other than ethanol demand, including an early freeze that zapped fruits and vegetables, low world supplies of wheat, milk producers’ cutting back on production in response to last year’s low prices and the rising cost of energy.

Source: http://www.agweb.com/get_article.aspx?src=gennews&pageid=136886

World Wheat Weather Update

In Argentina, temperatures in wheat growing areas dropped very low last week and are expected to deepen even further, into the teens and even single digits Fahrenheit. This could definitely damage newly emerging wheat. Also, in Australia, wheat areas are still suffering from a summer drought and there is no real rain in the forecast.

Source: FIMAT

Australia Oilseed Production Increase

Australia, the world's third-largest canola exporter, may produce 8.4 percent more of the oilseed than forecast because of good growing conditions in the east side of the country.

Full story: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=avRF31UJPF8s&refer=australia

Markets seen strong through 2009

Many analysts believe that until there is a slowdown in demand growth or a short crop, the long-term outlook for higher prices is intact.

Read more: http://www.agriculture.com/ag/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/ag/story/data/1183749304227.xml&catref=ag2001

World Wheat Ending Stocks

On July 12, 2007, the USDA reduced its estimate of 2007-2008 U.S. ending stocks from 443 to 418 million bushels. The result is a US ending stocks to use ratio at 18%, the lowest in 12 years. Worldwide, the USDA is expecting 2007-2008 ending stocks to fall from 124 to 117 million tons, or 19% of annual use, matching its lows of the past three decades.

Source: http://www.dailyfutures.com/grains/

'Cash flow is king': Tips on putting together a bulletproof farm business plan

Among the elements important to any business plan, especially in agriculture, the ability to demonstrate cash flow potential in a financial analysis lies on top of the list. These days, business is about cash flow. When approaching a lender, you must be able to show cash flow. Cash flow is king. Collateral and good management are key, but they're second and third to cash flow in importance to the lender.

Full Story: http://www.agriculture.com/ag/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/ag/story/data/1184253528602.xml