The survey tool will map canola plant densities and emergence percentages while helping to drive the adoption of regular plant counts as an important step in achieving target yields.

“Many canola fields are still averaging 50 to 60 per cent emergence, which means that of every 10 seeds planted, four or five of them fail to emerge or contribute to yield,” said Autumn Barnes, an agronomy specialist with the canola council.

“Assessing plant stands in every field, every year will help farmers and agronomists identify challenges and implement changes to plant establishment practices to achieve the recommended target of five to eight plants per square foot.”

Research shows that stands of five to six plants per square foot yield about five bushels per acre more than stands that average two to three plants per square foot.

To use Canola Counts, growers or agronomists will first take multiple plant counts (see tips below) and then enter the average plant density for each field into the online survey. The survey input form will calculate emergence percentage, and the whole process can be done in-field in about 60 seconds.

After submitting their info, users will receive an immediate summary email as well as maps later in the season that can be used to compare their fields with regional norms. Summary data and maps are easily shareable with partners, clients or staff. (For more information on how to complete the survey, go to www.youtube.com and search for ‘canola count.’)

Each field entered in the Canola Counts survey gives producers a chance to win weekly gift cards for spring or fall counts, as well as a prize for users who enter the most fields in each Prairie province.

Here are some tips on taking plant counts:

– once canola has fully emerged and is at the two- to four-leaf stage or greater (and again after harvest), growers or agronomists should walk fields and calculate the average plant density (plants per square foot) for each field using a hoop or a metre stick.

– one-quarter-square-metre hoop: A hoop with an inside diameter of 56 centimetres and circumference of 177 cm covers an area of one-quarter of a square metre. Count the number of plants (not including volunteers) inside the hoop and multiply by four to get plants per square metre. Divide the plants per square metre by 10 to get plants per square foot.
– two-square-foot hoop: A hoop with an inside diameter of 49 centimetres and circumference of 153 cm covers an area of two square feet. Count the number of plants (excluding volunteers) inside the hoop and divide by two to get plants per square foot.
– metre stick: With a metre stick, count the seedlings per metre of row. Take that number and multiply by 100 then divide by the spacing between seed rows (in centimetres) to get plants per square metre. Divide by 10 to get plants per square foot.

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The combine optimization tool offers a step-by-step process to zero in on the issue (such as grain loss or grain sample quality) and then offers the adjustment options most likely to correct the issue.

“In combine adjustments for all crops, we are trying to balance productivity with harvest losses and grain quality but most producers know first hand the particular challenge this can pose for canola harvest,” says Angela Brackenreed, a council agronomy specialist. “We often see an unacceptable level of loss that is frustrating to correct.”

The tool can be found at the Canola Council of Canada website.

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The performance trials compare leading canola varieties in small-plot and field-scale trials. Results can be filtered by province, season zone, and herbicide-tolerance system. Producers can also search all varieties or do head-to-head comparisons of two or three varieties. With each search, days to maturity, height, lodging, and yield results are provided in easy-to-compare graph format.

“What growers get from this site are independent, third-party data on new and familiar canola varieties — essential information in making variety choices,” said Alberta producer John Guelly, chair of the governance committee for the trials.

The online tool also provides the option to compare varieties for a number of years. The performance trials program has been running since 2011, and all data collected over the past seven years is available. A compilation of 2011-16 data (Canola Variety Selection Guide: Featuring CPT Summary Data booklet) is posted in the Trials Summaries section of the website.

The 2017 trials included field-scale comparisons of clubroot-resistant varieties and pod-shatter tolerant varieties in straight-combining trials.

“I encourage growers to take some time over the winter to explore the site and read the summary booklets to make full use of all the work involved in generating this data,” said Guelly.

The trials were funded by Alberta Canola, SaskCanola, and the Manitoba Canola Growers Association with contributions from the British Columbia Grain Producers Association.

The Canola Council of Canada, which delivers the program on their behalf, is targeting 52 bushels per acre to meet global market demand of 26 million tonnes by the year 2025 under its Keep it Coming 2025 initiative.

The post Get the latest performance data on canola varieties appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The target plant stand calculator has several criteria that you select for your farm: Uniformity of the stand you expect on your farm, early-season frost risk, expected weed and pest situation, and length of growing season.

The seeding rate calculator also has several criteria such as 1,000 seed weight; target plant density, and estimated survival rate. In addition to the calculators, the website has resources on topics such as conducting plant counts, recording emergence data, and factors affecting emergence.

To give it a try, visit www.canolacalculator.ca.

The post Handy calculators for canola seeding appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“It takes 14 to 21 days after a pre-seed glyphosate application for glyphosate-resistant kochia to become obvious, so keep an eye out while crossing over the farm while seeding or during in-crop herbicide applications,” said Angela Brackenreed, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada.

Kochia is far from the only herbicide-resistant weed to watch for. Weedscience.org reports 21 different weeds with herbicide resistance in the Canadian Prairies, many with Group 1 or Group 2 resistance and some resistant to multiple groups. Wild oats with stacked resistance were detected 20 years ago, and some have resistance to Groups 1, 2, 8 and 25.

Hugh Beckie, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, estimates that herbicide-resistant weeds cost growers $1.1 billion to $1.5 billion per year.

“Without management, these weeds will continue to spread and the effect on grower profits will only get worse,” said Beckie.

He estimates that the number of acres on the Prairies with at least one resistant weed has gone from 10.9 million in the early 2000s to 38.0 million in 2014.

The post Watch for herbicide-resistant weeds appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The video describes how uniform stands of seven to 10 plants per square foot act as insurance, preserving yield potential in the face of early-season threats from frost, insects and seedling disease.

“Achieving this target stand often requires seeding rate adjustment based on seed size and soil conditions,” says Justine Cornelsen, agronomy specialist for the canola council.

Seed with higher thousand seed weights will have fewer seeds per pound, so heavier seed may have to be planted at higher pounds per acre to achieve the target stand. And if soil moisture conditions are favourable and seed survival is 80 per cent, canola will only need nine to 13 seeds per square foot to reach the target. However, if survival is 50 per cent, a minimum of 14 seeds per square foot are required.

The video also describes how seeding too fast for the drill or soil conditions can lead to uneven seed placement row to row. Drills tend to sacrifice precision placement when operated too fast, and back rows of openers will throw more soil over the front rows, creating uneven soil cover for each seed row. Uneven seed depth results in uneven emergence.

The YouTube video can be found by clicking here.

Other factors in stand establishment include straw and chaff management to create an even layer; seed depth of one-half to one inch for more rapid emergence; and more seedling vigour, and safe rates of seed-placed fertilizer. The definition of “safe” varies based on soil moisture and seedbed utilization, but the general recommendation is to apply no more than 20 pounds per acre of phosphate in the seed row and place all other fertilizer in a band away from the seed, said Cornelsen.

Plant establishment is one of the key components to boosting yields in the canola council’s strategic plan, which targets an average yield of 52 bushels per acre by 2025, up from the three-year average of around 34 bushels per acre. Improved plant establishment agronomy could add three bushels per acre. Improved fertility management is forecast to add another three bushels; with two bushels per acre each coming from advances in integrated pest management and harvest management; and eight from genetic improvement.

The post Canola council offers tips for better establishment appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“This is a first-of-its-kind technology transfer tool,” said Curtis Rempel, the council’s vice-president of crop production and innovation. “It will allow growers to access canola research behind particular recommendations and quickly zero in on the findings most relevant to their region and concern.”

The Canola Research Hub online database was developed to illustrate the science behind best management practices of Canadian canola production, provide practical tools to evaluate agronomic performance, and to inform production management decisions. Users can navigate through a library of research summaries, view and filter research data, watch video interviews and clips, access published resources, download multimedia materials, and keep up to date on science-based industry news and events.

“The practical application of science-backed production management relies on getting our story out,” said Neil Harker, a researcher with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lacombe.

“Scientists are often only available for two or three tech transfer events per year with audiences ranging from very small up to a few hundred,” added Kelly Turkington, also of AAFC Lacombe. “This online resource is available to all audiences at all times.”

The Canola Research Hub also provides the platform for collaboration between growers, consultants, agronomists and the scientific community, said Turkington.

The canola council has set a target of achieving 52 bushels per acre and production of 26 million tonnes by 2025.

The post Canola council launches new online database appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The online tool includes interactive maps and the ability to refine searches by season zone, herbicide tolerance type, yield, days to maturity, lodging, and height. Users can also compare results from 2011 to 2014.

“With this cumulative data, you can use the online tool to compare varieties based on how they performed under the varying conditions we’ve experienced over the past four years,” said Franck Groeneweg, chair of the CPT governance committee and the SaskCanola board of directors.

“No one else is providing canola growers with this level of independent information on leading genetics.”

Alberta Canola Producers Commission and its counterparts in Saskatchewan and Manitoba provide funding for the program. The B.C. Grain Producers Association conducted trials in the Peace as their means of participation. Running the trials, analyzing data, and distributing the results costs about $10 per grower, with seed companies covering $6 of that through trial participation fees.

“The whole program ends up costing each canola grower only $4,” said Groeneweg. “This is excellent value and will provide a significant return on investment, given how important it is for growers to choose the right seed for their specific needs.”

Winnipeg-based Haplotech Inc., led by Rale Gjuric, co-ordinated the trials under the guidance of a governance committee that oversees approval of varieties, protocol design, data collection, analysis and reporting, and financial management.

The CPT program includes both small-plot and large field-scale trials. Results for 2014 are based on 25 small-plot trials and 101 field-scale trials across the Prairies.

The Canola Council of Canada has set a goal of achieving 52 bushels per acre by 2025 as part of its Keep it Coming 2025 strategic plan.

The post The straight goods on canola variety performance appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

This week’s topics:

• Top 10 things to consider when scouting for insects

• Insect update

• What Swede midge damage looks like

• Scouting now for disease

• Try the new Spray-to-Swath tool

• Coming events

The post Canola Watch for this week appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The conference will have value for everyone in contact with clubroot, including growers, ag retailers, agronomists, county and municipal staff, and government extension staff. The program includes two days of presentations. Thursday, June 20 will focus on research, with presenters from the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, China, India and Canada. Topics include new discoveries in how the disease works, efforts to expand genetic resistance, and analysis of new management techniques.

The Friday lineup will provide practical tips to prevent and manage clubroot in the field, and a presentation on how county regulations worked to prevent spread of the disease. On Friday afternoon, attendees get to tour a clubroot nursery with trials to demonstrate soil amendments, fumigation treatments, resistant varieties, and dust traps as management tools. The tour also includes an equipment sanitation demonstration.

For more information visit www.canolacouncil.org and click the link to the 2013 International Clubroot Workshop. For more information on clubroot, visit clubroot.ca.

The post International Clubroot Workshop in June appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.