Agronomist Notes

Last week I was talking about how the recent warm and dry weather helped seeding progress rapidly in our area. Now, we’ve had six days of gentle rain and the gauge is reading two and half inches! Many producers are anywhere from 85% to 100% finished seeding with just the tail end of barley to go. It looks like we won’t get seeding until the end of the week but don’t be surprised how quickly it dries up. I drove across a number of fields last Friday after two inches of rain without a worry of getting stuck. I should mention those particular fields have been in zero-till for almost 20 years. 

This week we’ll take a look at the new John Deere 1870 and how it performed in some heavy, hailed out barley residue. We’re now into insect season so we’ll look at the identification, scouting and control of flea beetles and wireworms. We’ll finish up with international crop and weather highlights in Market News.    

Agronomy

Date Seeded:	April 23-31	May 1-7	May 8-15
Wheat	3-leaf	2-leaf	1-leaf
Canola	1-leaf	cotyledon	emerging
Barley	Early 3-leaf	2-leaf	1-leaf
Peas	3st node	2st node	1st node

This Week in Scouting

Continue scouting for flea beetles.
Begin scouting for wireworm and cutworm damage in early seeded fields.
Begin weed scouting towards the end of the week in early seeded fields, especially wheat or barley on canola stubble. Watch for volunteer canola pressure.
Monitor gopher damage, especially in canola fields adjacent to pastures.

Seeding Through Gnarly Residue- Does your machine shine?

In my travels I’ve been looking for air drill set-ups that can handle heavy residue. I know that depending on what time of day it is, several machines do a good job of seeding through thick trash, regardless of the make or model. I recently had a chance to visit the Treacy family who own Indian Springs Farm, north of Hussar, AB.  They purchased a John Deere 1870 Conserva Pak drill and had their own set of challenges this spring.

I asked Calvin Treacy if they had any fields with heavy residue. Yes, they certainly did— wheat, barley and canola fields that were 100% hailed out in July 2007 and not all were heavy harrowed either. Ah ha! This, I thought, could be the mother lode of heavy straw, the kind of trash you seed through with your eyes closed and not look back until late June! Let’s take a look at the specs of this machine first.
 
This JD 1870 is 56 feet wide and came equipped with a 195 bushel tow between and 430 bushel tow behind tank. This set up allows the Treacy’s to seed 110 acres per fill using 245 lbs of fertilizer and 120 lbs of wheat. The ground opening system is classic Conserva Pak style with ¾ inch knives on 12 inch spacing and independent depth control on each shank. The Treacy’s pull this outfit on very hilly ground with a 400hp Caterpillar. I suspect it’s the 15-plus years these fields have been in zero-till that allows them to pull this unit with ease.
Conserva Pak ground opening and seed delivery system offers very consistent seeding depth with straight forward calibration. Calvin mentioned that there is a guide mark on the shank to show the correct depth for the fertilizer knife. In order for the opener system to perform correctly, the fertilizer knife must set at the correct depth. Leveling, depth of shank and press wheel pressure was also simple to set up.

The picture on the left is a close up of canola emerging in heavy residue seeded at 4 lbs/ac. The picture on the right is the same field. 

It should be noted that the Treacy’s experienced no real difference in residue clearance in the heavy harrowed fields compared to the fields that were left untouched after the hail. They agree that the JD 1870 has passed the residue test on their farm in 2008, even considering they had to turn around a number of times to remove trash from under the tool bar. All in all, the seeding depth and emergence under heavy residue conditions have been more than satisfactory. SL

Watch for Wireworms

Now is the time to begin scouting fields with histories of wireworm damage. Wireworms can spend roughly four years of their life cycle as larvae in the soil. They prefer cool, moist soil and tend to be active in the top six inches of the soil. Early in the growing season, they are attracted to the carbon dioxide produced in the germination process and will come to the surface to feed on emerging plants. This is the time when they will cause the most damage to crops, usually by shredding below ground plant tissue.

Description

Wireworms are slender, cylindrical, hard-bodied insect larvae reaching up to 4 cm (1 1/2in.) in size. They are usually copper-brown but when newly molted they can be soft-bodied and white. Adult wireworms are beetles that have the ability to flip themselves upright when placed on their backs, making an audible click as they do, giving them their name "click beetles."

Wireworm (larvae) and click beetle (adult).  Photo source unknown.

Scouting

Soil samples can be sieved to find any wireworms present in the field. Samples can be collected using a post-hole auger and a series of soil sifting screens or by marking out areas 50 cm x 50 cm (20 in. x 20 in.) and sieving the soil to a depth of 15 cm (6 in.). Repeat in different areas of the field to determine an average number of larvae per square meter (sq. yd.).

Damage

Sometimes wireworm damage is confused with cutworm damage. Remember that with wireworms the plant is wilted and discolored but remains attached to the root. With cutworms the plants are usually cut off completely at or near the soil surface.

Economic Thresholds

An action threshold of about 32 wireworms per square meter (sq. yd.) is often recommended. If wireworms are found at this or a higher density, seed treatment is usually warranted in following years.

Control Tips

Control of wireworms is through seed treatments applied prior to planting. Cruiser®, containing the active ingredient thiamethoxam, is currently the only registered seed treatment for control of wireworms. Commercial seed treaters can only apply it with closed system facilities. Some agronomists recommend that growers treat seed for 2 consecutive years after breaking sod to reduce the problem to a non-economical level. This should be done only if the risk of an infestation is high. If wireworms are found in an emerging crop, there is no 'quick fix'. Often, the damage occurs or is seen too late to reseed the damaged patch. Also, the loss in yield does not justify the cost of re-seeding. The best plan is to consider what action may be necessary for the following year.
Source: Canola Council of Canada, Saskatchewan Agriculture, Manitoba Agriculture

For more information on wireworms, refer to the following links:
Larval stages http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/insects/fad28s00.html
Management strategies http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/prm2509?opendocument

Watch for Flea Beetles

I’ve seen very few flea beetles in my travels this spring, mostly on volunteer canola. This is the time to be scouting for them. Actually, the best time to scout for flea beetles is at swathing time. If you noticed a large number of flea beetles while you where swathing last year, there’s a good chance those flea beetles might have migrated to adjacent fields of newly seeded canola.

Description

Flea beetles attacking canola, mustard and rapeseed are small, elliptical or oval-shaped and less than 2.5 mm (0.1 in.) long. When disturbed they use their powerful hind legs to jump away like a flea and hence the name, flea beetle. Adult crucifer flea beetles are uniformly black with a metallic bluish sheen. The wing covers are randomly punctuated and the large hind legs are a dark amber colour.

Scouting

Scout fields daily in the spring, especially in areas with high flea beetle pressure last year. Assess damage to cotyledons and the first true leaves of seedlings. Continue scouting for the first 14 days after emergence, especially on sunny, calm days when temperatures exceed 140C. Scouting twice a day may be warranted when weather conditions are ideal for flea beetle feeding.

Striped flea beetle. Photo source: unknown. 
Crucifer flea beetle. Photo source: Canola Council.

25% damage (Spray Threshold). Photo source: Canola Council. 
50% damage. Photo source: Canola Council.

Damage Assessment

Canola seedlings can withstand 50% leaf loss. However, flea beetles can locate, attack and quickly injure or destroy seedlings shortly after emergence. Therefore, the action threshold for flea beetle feeding on canola is when there is 25% defoliation and flea beetles are present. Applying controls at 25% defoliation will reduce the risk of flea beetle damage reaching a level where yield loss and plant development are substantially reduced.

Control Tips

Under high beetle pressure and feeding damage, a delay of one to two days can result in loss of entire fields. If damage is limited to only the edge, spraying only part of the field may reduce flea beetle numbers. Apply insecticides during the sunny, warm part of the day when beetles are actively feeding on the plants. During years when flea beetles are abundant through June, a yield loss of about 10% can be common even when the crop is protected with insecticidal seed treatments. Under these conditions a later foliar treatment (21 days after planting) may be necessary to protect the crop from re-infestation.
Source: Canola Council of Canada

Registered Insecticides

Decis: 40-60 ml/ac
Matador 120EC: 34 ml/ac
Sevin XLR: 200 ml/ac
Refer to the Crop Protection Guide for mixing and application instructions.

Market News

International Crop and Weather Highlights

Europe – Locally heavy showers slow summer crop planting across central and western Europe, but maintain favorable moisture levels for jointing to filling winter wheat. Additional late-season showers on the Iberian Peninsula improve prospects for filling winter grains.

Precipitation Map: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/3cpnp1.gif   

Former Soviet Union – Light to moderate showers caused some interruptions in spring planting activities in Ukraine and western Russia, while unseasonably warm, dry weather favors rapid planting progress in major spring wheat producing areas of Kazakhstan and eastern Russia.

Precipitation Map: Western http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/3cpnp3.gif
New Lands: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/3cpnp4.gif
Central: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/3cpnp14.gif

Middle East – Showers in Turkey provide additional moisture for reproductive to filling winter wheat. Dry weather in Iran continues to reduce prospects for heading to filling winter grains.

Precipitation Map: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/3cpnp13.gif

Northwest Africa – Showers in Algeria and Tunisia arrive too late to benefit maturing winter wheat and barley.

Precipitation Map: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/3cpnp12.gif

East Asia – Rain on the North China Plain favors emerging to vegetative summer crops and filling winter wheat. Dry weather reduces soil moisture for corn and soybeans in parts of Manchuria and necessitates increased irrigation for summer crops in the south.

Precipitation Map: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/3cpnp2.gif

Southeast Asia – Monsoon showers benefit corn across Thailand. Tropical Cyclones Matmo and Halong bring flooding rainfall to the northern Philippines, causing localized damage to rice and corn.

Precipitation Map: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/3cpnp5.gif

Australia – Rain brings needed drought relief to portions of the wheat belt in Victoria and South Australia. Widespread, albeit light showers favor winter grain planting and early growth in Western Australia. Scattered showers in Queensland and New South Wales disrupt local summer crop harvesting.

Precipitation Map:   http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/3cpnp7.gif

South America – Conditions favor rapid harvesting of Argentine corn and soybeans. In Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, dry weather aids winter wheat planting and final soybean harvests.

Precipitation Map:
Southern: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/3cpnp8.gif
Northern: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/3cpnp15.gif

Canada – Spring grain and oilseed plantings progresses, although drought limits fieldwork in parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Precipitation Map: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/3cpnp10.gif

Mexico − Showers benefit immature winter sorghum in Tamaulipas. Rain also improves corn planting prospects on the southern plateau.

Precipitation Map: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/3cpnp9.gif

World Crop Stage Maps for May 2008

Summer: http://www.usda.gov/oce/weather/CropCalendars/cal_mays.gif
Winter: http://www.usda.gov/oce/weather/CropCalendars/cal_mayw.gif

Wheat, Durum Values Fall in 2007-08 PRO

The CWB released its May 2008 Pool Return Outlook (PRO) for the 2007-08 crop year. Milling wheat values are down $10 to $22 per tonne from the last PRO published in March, while milling durum has dropped $29 per tonne. Designated barley and feed barley values are unchanged from the last PRO. Positive new-crop outlooks in most of the world's major production regions, weak demand as customers pull down inventory levels, a strong Canadian dollar and record-high ocean freight rates are among factors pressuring returns.
May PRO: http://www.cwb.ca/dom/db/contracts/pool_return/pro.nsf/WebPRPub/2007_20080522.html?OpenDocument&CropYr=2007-08 

Canola and Barley Markets Look Strong

Informa Economics brought out its latest acreage forecasts last week. For soybeans they saw area at 73.3 million acres, up from last year's 63.6 million acres, but below the last USDA forecast of 74.8 million acres. This would likely yield a crop of about 3.05 billion bushels which would keep US soybean supplies very tight and give strong support to the canola market.

Informa pegged corn planting at 87.2 million acres, down 6.4 million acres from last year, but 1.2 million higher than the May USDA estimate. This would yield a crop of about 12.25 billion bushels. Total use of US corn in 2008-09 is expected to be 12.76 billion bushels which means that ending stocks of US corn would still be dragged below the 1 billion bushel level. This would be very supportive to US corn and to Canadian barley prices.
Source: Informa Economics

Rains Slow Planting Efforts in Central, Western Europe

Showers have returned to central and Western Europe and are slowing summer crop planting efforts in the region, USDA's Joint Weather Facility reported Wednesday. However the rains are supporting favorable moisture levels for jointing to filling winter wheat. Additional late-season showers on the Iberian Peninsula are also improving prospects for filling winter grains, USDA said.
Source: http://www.agweb.com/get_article.aspx?pageid=143189

Monsanto to Market Rovral Flo

Monsanto Canada will sell Bayer's canola fungicide Rovral Rx on the Prairies under a supply agreement the two companies signed this week. Rovral, a Group 2 (Iprodione) foliar fungicide, is used on the Prairies to protect against sclerotinia in canola and alfalfa seed crops. Bayer CropScience markets it on the Prairies under the name Rovral Flo and will continue to do so in 2008. 
Full story: http://www.grainews.ca/issues/ISArticle.asp?id=84657&PC=FBC&issue=05222008