The canola pods are almost done filling, if not at full maturity, in many areas of the prairies, and harvest is beginning.
We often think of scouting as something we have to do earlier in the season when there are still control options, but don’t always remember the importance of knowing what’s going on in your field right up to harvest.
In this Canola School episode, Brittany Hennig, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, recaps some of the disease and insect issues seen in Western Canada this year, and highlights why it’s important to look for blackleg disease at harvest.
“If you are scouting for blackleg you need to be looking throughout the entire field. Really think about your crop history, what varieties you’ve used in the past, and what your rotation has been over the past 2-4 years,” explains Hennig.
When you are cutting into the plant looking for blackleg, Hennig notes it’s important to look at the severity ratings.
“If it’s very minimal, it’s something you need to be aware of and keep an eye on. If it’s getting up into that really severe stage then it’s something you definitely might want to change your genetics. And also look at changing the post-crop too,” suggests Hennig. “So making sure you get a longer rotation in there. If you’ve had the same variety of canola in your field year after year after year, it is definitely more susceptible to blackleg.”
To learn more about scouting for blackleg in your canola field prior to harvest, and some of the considerations you may want to make for next year, check out this Canola School video filmed near Mossleigh, AB:
Please register to read and comment.