Wet conditions early in this growing season have hastened the spread of clubroot throughout fields and to new areas in Alberta, the Canola Council of Canada reports.
Higher incidences and severity than expected have been recorded in Alberta counties that only had a few documented cases in the past. And at least one new county, Vermilion River, has been added to the list of counties with known cases, the council notes in a release featured Friday in Grainews’ 2011 CropWatch.
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As the harvest in southern Alberta presses on, a broker said that is one of the factors pulling feed prices lower in the region. Darcy Haley, vice-president of Ag Value Brokers in Lethbridge, added that lower cattle numbers in feedlots, plentiful amounts of grass for cattle to graze and a lacklustre export market also weighed on feed prices.
The council offers timely advice to at-risk growers on what to look for, what action to take and how best to prevent clubroot’s spread. If you’re a canola grower who suspects he or she has an affected field, click on the “Reply” button or post your own CropWatch item using the “Share a comment” or “Share a photo” button to start a discussion.
Among other items added to the CropWatch this week:
- Results so far from the Canadian Grain Commission’s Harvest Sample Program suggest ergot may be a grading issue in this year’s wheat crop.
- Harvest progress in Saskatchewan varies but overall remains ahead of the five-year curve.
- Moisture is necessary for canola seeds to continue clearing chlorophyll, so canola swathed in the heat or just after a frost may be as cured as it will get, the Canola Council says.
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