Crop Production Update
- Harvest has begun in the southern and western parts of the province. Winter wheat, fall rye, field peas and lentils are the first crops being harvested. Keep up to date with harvest progress in the coming weeks by reading the weekly Crop Report.
- Hot and dry conditions continue to have negative impacts on crop development throughout the province. There are reports of canola and cereal crop damage from these conditions paired with the limited moisture; however, the extent of crop damage varies based on regional conditions.
- There have been reports of cereal lodging in many areas of the province from wind and insect damage.
- Blackleg and sclerotinia stem rot symptoms are appearing in canola fields earlier than normal this year, likely due to the wet spring much of the province experienced. Some canola fields that weren’t treated with fungicides are showing more severe symptoms than treated fields.
Lab Update
During the previous two weeks the Crop Protection Lab (CPL) received 28 plant disease samples for diagnosis, as well as 127 Elm tree samples that are being tested for Dutch Elm Disease (DED). If you have a tree that you suspect has DED, get it tested! Sample submission guidelines and forms can be found on the Dutch Elm Disease Testing Samples webpage.
The plant disease samples submitted to the lab have been occurring on oats, wheat, barley, peas, lentils, fababean, durum and chickpea. Testing is being completed on some of these samples currently. In addition, the lab is diagnosing many samples as part of the provincial pest surveys. Preliminary results suggest that root health issues are affecting many crops, with both fungal pathogens and oomycetes causing the diseases, the latter being found in most pulse submissions. Some cereal crops have been submitted with signs of insect feeding, diagnosing these samples is difficult as feeding damage can be visually assessed but the insect causing the damage is often not present. If you have signs of insect feeding on your crop and would like a diagnosis, be sure to send in some insects found in the crop, too! All sample submissions to the CPL should adhere to the sample submission guidelines.
The CPL is also beginning to receive weed seeds to be tested for herbicide resistance. If you have weeds that survived a herbicide application and you would like to have further insight into the problem you can collect seeds and have them tested for herbicide resistance. Submission guidelines can be found on the Herbicide Resistance Testing Samples webpage. The submission deadline is January 15, 2025. Please avoid desiccating the crop prior to weed seed collection as the desiccant can skew test results.
In this issue:
Harvest Desiccation Regulations: Have you ever wondered what happens when you desiccate your crop with an unregistered product?
Get Your Soil Tested for Clubroot: Get your soil tested for clubroot, learn more about the Clubroot Soil Testing Program and how to get your soil testing bag.