The success of a canola stand depends on reaching the 3-4 leaf stage within 4 weeks of seeding. It seems like a tall order, but your canola’s life depends on it.
Pre-seed weed control is a valuable tool to use in an overall weed control strategy for your crop rotation.
We as an agriculture community are living with so many new challenges and experiences.
Pre-seed weed control is a valuable tool to use in an overall weed control strategy for your crops. Early weed removal has been documented as an important step in maximizing crop yield due to reduced weed density and competition.
Learn more about best management practices for canola.
A well-planned crop rotation will help keep soils and crops healthier. It is key to sustainability and economic success on the farm. Consider the following when building your crop rotation plan:1) Practise crop diversity. Rotations with cereals, oilseeds and pulses will improve soil characteristics and improve yield.2) Be aware of the growth habit of your crop such as rooting patterns and depth e.g. deep-rooted crops can access subsoil moisture and nutrients more effectively and may help improve soil drainage and aeration.
With harvesting completed this fall, grower impressions of swathing and combining characteristics are fresh in mind. Final yields and maturity differences will then usually make up a grower’s mind about a variety choice for the next growing season. Of course, new varieties and specialty markets will also provide additional options for growers. Here are some key factors to consider when booking your variety for next season:
Growers should consider “herbicide layering” as a strategy to help manage herbicide resistance. This practice involves using a pre-emergent herbicide prior to an in-crop herbicide application. This program allows for multiple modes of action to be utilized. In addition, pre-emergent weed control gets the crop off to a fast, clean start to help maximize yield potential.
Post-harvest weed control is a great opportunity to clean up fields and prepare for next year’s crop. Fall is especially suited for effective control of perennials such as dandelion and Canada thistle. As temperatures start to drop, perennial weeds start moving nutrients into their root systems for winter storage. This also facilitates the movement of crop protection products into the roots, enhancing their activity and providing a better kill. Control of winter annuals is also more effective in the fall, when these weeds are small seedlings. There is also an opportunity to use different herbicide modes of action in the fall and to tank-mix glyphosate for more complete weed control and resistance management.
The Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) is offering its members free diagnostic testing for each of the following crop pests in canola: clubroot, blackleg and glyphosate-resistant kochia. Testing will be done by the Pest Surveillance Initiative (PSI) lab in Winnipeg. It is the hope of MCGA that getting tested will help growers maximize their net income on the farm.
Questions or concerns?