September 4, 2009

The warm, dry conditions that prevailed across much of western Canada over the past week has helped to advance crop development, the Canola Council of Canada said in a crop update for the week ended Wednesday (September 3).

Swathing was underway in southwestern and central Manitoba, southwestern Saskatchewan, and southern Alberta, the report said. A few of the very earliest fields in these areas have been combined. Swathing was just beginning in other regions.

Overall, the crop has about 40 percent seed colour change and if hot, dry conditions continue it is anticipated that swathing of canola will become general in all areas within a week to 10 days, the CCC said.

Harvest management continues to be challenging due to the variable stages within fields, the CCC said. For instance, some areas of Alberta that were dry early in the season, then received rainfall in early July, now have fields with flowering plants as well as plants that are nearing maturity.

Sunscald has been appearing in some fields in many areas, the CCC report cautioned. They noted that it was important for producers to diagnose because sunscald can make the plant appear riper that it actually is.

Across the Canadian prairies, there are several reports of late-season diseases, especially sclerotinia and blackleg, the CCC said. In some fields, there is a significant amount of sclerotinia (up to 30 percent infection). Sclerotinia can cause canola stems to rot, while blackleg causes stem lesions and can also attack plant roots.

High numbers of flea beetles have been observed in eastern Saskatchewan, southwestern Manitoba and in isolated areas of Alberta, the report said.