Canola Stand EstablishmentA Guide to Best Management Practices

A New Look at CanolaStand Establishment

WHY GETTING BACK TO THE BASICS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER

Canola has come a long way since its “special crop” status 30 years ago. Sincethe first varieties were introduced to Canadian producers, canola has become acommonplace fixture on most western Canadian farms. And in that time, we haveseen some significant changes take place in canola production:

■ The move to Argentine (Brassica napus) varieties from Polish (B. rapa) types:over 90% of canola grown today is Argentine.*

■ The move away from conventional to herbicide tolerant systems: conventionalvarieties account for only 12% of today’s canola acres. The remaining 88% aresown to HTC varieties.†

■ Growth of hybrids: in 2002, 21% of varieties planted were hybrids; that moved to36% in 2003.†

■ A trend toward specialty oil markets: now accounting for 5% of varieties planted,specialty oil varieties are beginning to make a mark.*

■ In Western Canada, we’re also seeing fewer summerfallow acres, more continuouscropping, tighter rotations and less tillage.

Today’s canola varieties offer huge improvements in yield potential and diseaseresistance over their predecessors. And our familiarity with producing canola haslong since removed the “special crop” status it once had. But better varieties andfamiliar production methods haven’t eliminated production challenges.

Disease and insect pressures have also “improved” just as canola has. Soil diseaseprofiles appear to be changing as disease pathogens adapt to today’s agronomicconditions. Flea beetles have expanded their range and are now found much farthernorth than they were even five years ago. More land than ever before is underminimum-till, fostering conditions favourable for certain diseases and insects, likeflea beetles, to overwinter and survive.

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This is why getting back to the basics of canola production is so important. Croprotations, tillage, fertility, seeding practices, seed treatment choices, field scouting –all have important roles to play in successful stand establishment; and successfulstand establishment is key to a profitable canola crop, because canola that getsoff to a good strong start is better able to overcome most early-season challengesthrown at it, such as disease or flea beetle attack. When you achieve strong standestablishment, you are much more likely to get the high yields and quality you’reaiming for.

This Canola Stand Establishment Guide was designed to help you achieve thatsuccess. It outlines the best management practices in three main areas of standestablishment:

■ seeding practices■ disease management■ insect management.

At the back of this guide, you’ll also find a list of references where you can get furtherinformation on canola production, a hand-held flea beetle field scouting guide to helpyou more accurately assess early season feeding damage, and an at-a-glance riskassessment guide to help you make sound seed treatment and seeding decisions.

At Syngenta, we’re committed to helping you grow the best canola crop. Use this guideto help build an integrated canola management plan that works best for your farm.

* Source: Murray Hartman, Oilseed Specialist, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. Alberta data.

† Source: 2003 Ipsos-Reid Canola Variety Market Watch, wave 3.

Factors Affecting CanolaStand Establishment

Achieving strong stand establishment is the result of an integrated management planthat focuses on maximizing those factors that help canola thrive, and minimizing thosethat hinder it.

Best management practices for canola stand establishment centre around three mainthemes: seeding practices, disease management and insect management. Withinthese three main groups, there are 10 factors that can affect stand establishment:

1. Crop rotations 2. Seed quality (vigour/seed size)3. Seedbed preparation (seed-to-soil contact) 4. Seeding date5. Seeding rate and depth6. Fertility7. Weather (frost/cold)8. Herbicide impact (carryover and contamination)9. Seed and soil-borne diseases

10. Flea beetles

There are only two factors on this list over which growers have no control at all: fleabeetle densities and weather. For all the rest, growers do have some influence, andwhen they exercise that influence, they can do much to mitigate the damage thatflea beetles and weather can do.

A truly integrated canola stand establishment management plan recognizes that whencanola seedlings are weakened by one of the above factors, the effects of the othersare magnified. For example, a seed planted too deeply will be more prone to soil-bornedisease attack, slower to emerge and be smaller and weaker as a result. The effectsof flea beetles or frost on a struggling plant like this are much more severe than on ahealthy, vigourous seedling that was planted at an optimal seeding depth. Be sure totake all factors into account when planning your canola crop.

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SeedingPractices

Canola seedlings expend a great deal of energy just getting out of the ground. So howyou physically seed canola can determine, to a large part, how much energy seedlingshave to spend on emergence, and how much is left over for the business of growinginto a productive, high-yielding canola plant. Here are some factors to consider.

Seed quality. Most of the canola seed sold in Western Canada today is Certified andis therefore of the highest quality possible in any given year. The blue tag guaranteesthe grower a minimum germination rate of 90%. Growers looking for added assuranceshould consider having their seed tested at an accredited lab.

Variety choice can play a role in crop emergence, but it’s secondary to actual seedingpractices. Hybrids, for example, tend to “pop” out of the ground faster than non-hybridvarieties, but if the field is infested with disease, or the seed treatment is notadequate for the conditions present, or the seed is planted too deeply, even a hybridwill have difficulty with emergence.

Seedbed preparation. One of the most common causes of seed failing to germinateproperly is poor seed-to-soil contact, and that can be a function of poor seedbedpreparation. Preparing the seedbed properly is a challenge, particularly with minimumor zero-till systems. Minimum till does help preserve moisture, but high levels of trashcan interfere with seed-to-soil contact and reduce germination. As much as possible,the seedbed should be level, uniform, well packed and warm (5 C or higher).

Today’s larger seeding equipment means many acres can be seeded in one day. Butthe pressure of completing a seeding operation can sometimes lead producers toincrease speed during seeding. It’s important to remember that seeding at too higha speed will result in uneven seed and fertilizer placement, could reduce seed-to-soilcontact and may, in fact, harm seed, leading to lower germination and higher seedmortality. A conscientious effort during seeding operations will result in improved,even germination and contribute to optimal stand establishment.

Seeding date. Seeding early is a good practice, but “early” is relative. In areaswhere spring weather is unpredictable, seeding in late April or early May can delayemergence due to cold weather and cold soils. Under warm, moist seedbedconditions, emergence should take 10 to 15 days, but if canola is seeded too earlyand has to battle cold, snow or frost, it can take three weeks or more. That delayleaves the young canola seedling highly vulnerable to disease and flea beetle attack.

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Seeding rate. Always take into account the natural mortality of canola seed (about20% to 40%) when planning your seeding rate. Early seeding usually leads to highermortality. As well, keep in mind that 100% hybridity is not guaranteed nor promisedin all HTC varieties.

Optimal seeding rates will vary from variety to variety, and from soil type to soil type.Be sure to check with your local canola agronomist if you are unsure. As a rule ofthumb, seed five to six pounds per acre to achieve healthy plant densities, andseeding less than 4.5 pounds per acre, regardless of variety, can produce plantstands that will be too thin, especially if higher than average mortality occurs.Remember, low seeding rates leave no margin for error in the event of unexpectedpressures, such as frost or heavy flea beetle attack, and can lead to significant yieldand quality losses.

Seeding depth. The desire is always to seed into moisture, but if you plant canola toodeep, emergence is slowed and variable, and seedlings are weakened by soil-bornediseases and the sheer effort to get out of the ground, which leaves them vulnerableto flea beetle attack. Seed too shallow, and germination can be affected by lack ofmoisture as well as poor seed-to-soil contact.

So what’s best? Studies have shown that seeding canola more than an inch deepwill result in slower emergence and a weakened plant stand. The ideal planting depthis one half to one inch. Be sure to calibrate your seeding equipment to ensure alldrills are seeding to the same depth.

Fertility. Natural soil fertility can vary over the years and throughout a field, which iswhy experts recommend annual and multiple soil tests on each field. A thorough soiltest should be done every three to four years, but check annually for N and S – keynutrients for canola – and develop your fertility program accordingly.

Also check that seed placed fertilizer rates are not excessive, and ensure that anyfertilizer going down with the seed has a safe separation (at least one inch) from theseed. With the trend to minimum tillage and one pass seeding, more fertilizer is beingplaced at seeding time, and canola is very sensitive to seed row fertilizer.

DiseaseManagement

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All soils on the Prairies contain naturally occurring levels of disease pathogens – mostcommonly, Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium – and all contribute to a variety ofcanola seedling diseases, like damping-off, seedling blight and root rot. Canola seedsthemselves can carry disease – Alternaria and blackleg, for example – picking up theinfection from infected pods and stubble, and cycling it through all of the plant’sgrowth stages.

Diseases attack canola throughout the growing season, and many pathogens cansurvive in the soil for years, so you must plan ahead to defend against themevery season.

Start with rotations. Proper crop rotations are the best tool available to interruptcanola disease cycles. It’s always tempting to shorten canola rotations, particularlywhen commodity prices put canola in an attractive position. But shortening rotationsusually encourages disease inoculum to build up in the soil to levels where eventreated seed cannot properly defend itself against the pressure.

Rotations of no less than four years are required to optimally manage soil-bornediseases in canola. Choose rotational crops, like cereals, that are not as susceptibleto the diseases that affect canola and other cruciferous crops. This is particularly truein areas of intensive canola production where host plants are abundant. Here, seedand soil-borne diseases tend to be more severe and rotations play a crucial role incontaining them.

Rotations are also important in managing herbicide carryover. If they are too short,particularly in dry years when herbicide breakdown is slower, you run the risk ofdamaging a new canola crop with the previous years’ soil residue.

Watch out for the seedling disease complex. While all early-season diseases canimpact stand establishment, the most serious are those of the seedling diseasecomplex – seed rot, damping-off, seedling blight and root rot – which are causedprimarily by Rhizoctonia spp., Pythium spp. and Fusarium spp., all of which arepresent in varying degrees in most soils. Moisture and temperature can influencethe severity of the seedling disease complex, and what’s frustrating is that eachpathogen responds well to different conditions. Pythium, for example, thrives in cool,wet conditions where Rhizoctonia does well in dry, warm conditions.

Seed Rots

Damage caused byRhizoctonia and Fusarium

Damping-off

It means that no matter what your field conditions, you need to take steps to protectagainst the seedling disease complex. Choose a seed treatment that gives you thebroadest spectrum of disease protection possible.

Seedling diseases are opportunistic. So, while early seeding may assist with workloadmanagement, seeding too early can lead to delayed emergence due to unfavourableweather and soil conditions. This could leave seedlings open to continual attack fromsoil-borne diseases. Seed treatments can only protect seeds and seedlings for solong before the emerged plants become large enough to fend for themselves.Extended periods between seeding and emergence will only reduce the opportunityfor your seed treatment to protect your plants.

The role of seed treatments. Today’s canola seed treatments come with variouscombinations of contact and systemic fungicides designed to protect against a widerange of seed and soil-borne diseases. The presence of disease is a given, so alwaysuse a seed treatment to protect against seed and soil-borne diseases in canola.

Keep in mind that no single seed treatment controls all of the seed and soil-bornediseases that can affect canola, and that seed treatments, in general, are notequipped to overcome the severe conditions that can occur when shorter canolarotations are practiced.

The primary role of any seed treatment is to improve germination and emergence –getting young canola seedlings safely through to the two- to four-leaf stage. At thatpoint, the plants should have developed robust root structures strong enough tooutgrow further seedling disease attack.

Correct diagnosis is key. Accurate diagnoses of seed and soil-borne disease cannotbe done with the naked eye. It’s easy, for example, to mistake herbicide carryoverdamage for disease because some of the early physical symptoms are similar, likestunting, yellowing and rotting at the base of the stem.

If you suspect disease damage in young seedlings, send samples to an accredited labfor accurate diagnosis. If the test results come back positive for disease, you will havea heads up on what to look for, and protect against, next year.

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Helix-Treated Canola Seed

Herbicide Carryover Damage

Herbicide Damage(Sprayer Contamination)

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Disease

Seedling Disease Complex

(scout at: emergence tofour-leaf stage)

Root Rot Complex

(scout at: emergence tofour-leaf stage)

Blackleg

(scout at: emergence to four-leafstage and again at flowering,podding and later)

Appearance

Seeds and seedlings fail togerminate or emerge. Emergedseedlings usually have constrictedstems just below the soil surface,topple and die. Stands can be thin,slow to emerge or patchy.

Foot rot: hard brown lesions at stembase. Salmon-coloured sporemasses often present in lesion.

Brown girdling root rot: light brownlesions on taproot and at bases oflarger lateral roots. Root finallygirdled, leaving a stump.

Weakly virulent: whitish spotson leaves, and stems peppered withsmall dark fruiting bodies. Stemlesions may be shallow and greyor black.

Virulent: whitish spots on leaves, andstems with small dark fruiting bodies.Stem cankers deep brown with adark margin and may cut plant off,causing severe lodging and ripeningwith shrivelled seed.

Damage

Dead seedlings are usuallycompensated for by healthyseedlings. However, in very unevenand patchy stands, yields arereduced. Severe loss maynecessitate reseeding.

Losses are minor as lesions developlate in season. Early lesions causepremature ripening and reduced yields.

A major disease in the Peace Riverregion. Yield losses from podabortion, pre-tap mature ripening,seed weight loss and shrivelled seed.

Weakly virulent: widespread but ofminor importance; infects plants verylate in season.

Virulent: severe early infectionsresult in high yield losses.

Control

Use Certified seed. Sow shallowlyinto firm, warm, moist seedbedwith adequate fertilizer-to-seedseparation. Use seed treatmentscontaining fungicides.

Crop rotation. Control volunteercanola and cruciferous weeds inrotation. Use clean seed.

Use Argentine (B. napus) varietieswhere possible, as they are relativelyless susceptible. Use managementpractices as for seedling diseasecomplex.

To control weakly virulent and virulentblackleg, use a minimum four-yearcrop rotation. Control volunteercanola and cruciferous weeds.Stubble and crop residuemanagement are necessary. Seedtreatments may reduce spread intoareas where disease is absent.

THE MAJOR SEEDLING DISEASES OF CANOLA

Source: The Canola Council of Canada

InsectManagement

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There are three primary insect pests that can interfere with canola stand establishment:flea beetles, red turnip beetles and cutworms. While all can cause damage, fleabeetles are by far the most significant insect pest affecting stand establishment onthe Prairies. They occur in most canola-growing regions, and every year they costgrowers millions of dollars in yield and quality losses.

An insect management plan begins with proper identification of the pest and thedamage it causes. Understanding insect lifecycles will help to more accurately timeand implement control measures. In all cases, timely field scouting and having a quickresponse plan in place are key to saving the crop from excessive insect pressure.

RED TURNIP BEETLE

Identification. Dark red, less than an inch long and with three distinctive black stripesdown the back.

Lifecycle/damage. Red turnip beetles overwinter as eggs; the grubs hatch in thespring and feed on any available cruciferous plant material before burrowing into thesoil to pupate. The adults emerge in early June, which is when they can do their worstdamage to a canola seedling crop, particularly one that has delayed emergence.

Geography. Red turnip beetles occur sporadically, and tend to be a localized problem.

Scouting. Red turnip beetles feed exclusively on cruciferous plants. Look for feedingfrom the field edges – the beetles will have moved from last year’s canola fields insearch of food. These insects move slowly through a field and completely clean offplants as they go.

Control. Adults lay eggs randomly in canola fields in the fall, so cultivating an infestedfield after harvest can reduce winter survival. If you practice minimum tillage, anddon’t want to cultivate, the best control is to spray a foliar insecticide as soon asthe insects begin to move into the crop in June.

CUTWORMS

Identification. The pale western cutworm larvae are about 11/4-inches long, aregreenish, or slate-grey, with a brown head. Red-backed cutworm larvae are about11/2-inches long, are dark grey with two broad, dull red stripes down the back.

Lifecycle. Cutworms overwinter as eggs, which hatch in April and early May. The larvaefeed on canola plants until June, then they burrow into the soil to pupate. Adult mothsemerge from August to September and lay eggs either in the soil (pale western) or instubble (red-backed).

Feeding damage. Both species of cutworms go through about six growth stages in thelarval period from April to June. Holes and notches eaten into plant leaves is typicalof feeding damage caused by small, young larvae; and older cutworms eat into plantstems, literally cutting seedlings off at the soil level. Bare patches in the field,particularly on hills and south-facing slopes, are a key indicator of cutworm damage,and can be easily mistaken for poor germination. If you suspect cutworms, dig aroundthe roots of plants on the edge of a bare patch, and look for larvae in the first twoinches of soil.

Geography. Pale western cutworms are a concern in southern canola growing regions,while the red-backed species are more prevalent in northern areas.

Control. Foliar insecticides can be used locally in those areas of the field wherecutworms are still actively feeding. The Canola Council of Canada recommends thatan insecticide be applied when cutworms exceed three larvae per square metre.It further recommends that spraying is most effective when done in the evening ascutworms feed most actively at night. Seed treatments will not control cutworms.

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FLEA BEETLES

There’s no question that flea beetle populations have been on the rise in recent years,and their geographical reach appears to be expanding – for example, flea beetles wereonce rare in the Peace region, now they are abundant. While there are no definitiveeconomic thresholds for flea beetles, even a moderate infestation can significantlyreduce yields if canola is struggling to establish itself. It means that to effectivelycontrol flea beetles, growers need to be more vigilant than ever before – checkingpopulations in the fall and scouting in the spring, shortly after emergence.

Identification. There are two primary species of flea beetles – the crucifer flea beetle,which is uniformly blue-black and shiny; and the striped flea beetle, which has twohorizontal yellow stripes running the length of its otherwise black body.

They are both small, only 2.5 mm long, and hop away when disturbed, making themhard to see and harder to count. It’s one reason flea beetle control programs usuallybegin with preventative measures, such as seed treatments that include aninsecticide.

Life cycle. Overwintering adult beetles begin to emerge in the spring as soon as thedaytime temperatures get a few degrees above freezing. They immediately begin tofeed on cruciferous plants, such as canola and mustard. Depending on temperature,it can take up to three weeks for all overwintering adults to “wake up” and startfeeding – the warmer it is, the more active they are; so if you experience a slowspring, expect a longer emergence period for flea beetles.

Adults lay eggs from mid-May to August and this next generation of flea beetles willemerge in the late summer, beginning in late July. They will feed on canola throughoutthe fall, then retreat to shelterbelts and leaf litter to overwinter and begin thecycle again.

Geography. The crucifer flea beetle is abundant across most canola-growing regions,while the striped flea beetle is more common on the northern edges of this region.

Factors affecting outbreak. There are three times in the year when you need to beaware of the environmental conditions that can contribute to flea beetle outbreak.

Fall. A warm, open fall gives flea beetles sufficient time to feed then safely take coverfor the winter.

Flea Beetle Damage

Winter. Good snow cover and milder winters protect flea beetles, reducing winterkilland ensuring healthy adult populations come spring.

Spring. Under cool spring conditions, flea beetles will usually walk or hop to nearbycanola plants to feed. When temperatures exceed 20 C, flea beetles become muchmore active and can fly several miles in search of food.

Economic and agronomic impact. Flea beetles are the most abundant and mosteconomically damaging pest in canola. Yield losses of 10% or more are notuncommon where flea beetles are present in relatively high numbers. Unchecked,flea beetle attack can:

■ cause uneven crop emergence■ cause thin plant stands (increase weed competition)■ delay crop development■ cause uneven crop maturity■ increase green seed count■ create wounds on leaves where plant diseases can enter■ reduce yields

Control. Growers have two main tools at their disposal to control flea beetles: seedtreatments and foliar insecticides.

Seed treatments. Your seed treatment decision should be made in the winter, andit should be based on the flea beetle populations you saw in your canola fields theprevious fall. The late-season adult flea beetle population you saw at harvest is yourbest indication of what kind of flea beetle pressure you can expect the following spring.

While there are no hard and fast figures on what constitutes low, moderate and heavyflea beetle infestations, most entomologists say it’s not hard to estimate. If falldensities seem low to moderate (i.e. if flea beetles are present but not thick onplants, and if feeding damage is moderate) then you should consider having yourcanola seed treated with a product like Helix®, which provides 14 to 21 days ofprotection, after emergence, against low to moderate flea beetle pressure.

However, if canola plants are thick with flea beetles during the fall and you seesignificant feeding damage, you are at risk of a heavy and sustained outbreak inthe spring and should consider having your seed treated with a stronger product likeHelix XTra, which contains twice the amount of insecticide, providing 28 to 35 daysof protection after emergence.

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Fall Populations HelpPredict Flea BeetlePressure Next Spring

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Foliar insecticides. While all of the new generation canola seed treatments containan insecticide to protect young seedlings against flea beetle feeding damage, in allcases, the flea beetles must bite the plant to die. It means that no matter whatproduct you choose, you should expect to see some feeding damage. You shouldalways plan to scout young canola crops to ensure the flea beetles are beingeffectively controlled. This is particularly true if you experience heavy and sustainedflea beetle attack. In these cases, a seed treatment may not be enough, and you willneed to spray a foliar insecticide, like Matador®.

Field scouting. The industry recommendation is to spray as soon as you observe 25%leaf damage during the early stages of plant growth (prior to the 4th leaf). Therefore,scouting your fields for the first two to three weeks after emergence is critical. Toscout, begin by sampling representative areas of your field (feeding is worse on thefield edges so walk well into the field). Look for feeding damage on the cotyledonsand first true leaves and only spray when you see an average of 25% leaf damageacross your sampled plants. The photographs below will help you to accurately gaugefeeding damage from zero to 100% damage.

0% Damage 10% Damage 20% Damage 25% DamageSPRAY THRESHOLD

35% Damage 50% Damage 75% Damage 100% Damage

Appendices

APPENDIX I – SEED TREATMENT CHOICE

The primary factor in making a seed treatment choice is usually flea beetle control –do you need extra flea beetle protection or not? To make this decision, you need toanticipate what kind of flea beetle pressure you can expect in the coming spring.The best way to do that is to assess what happened over the previous season.Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Did you experience heavy flea beetle pressure inlast year’s crop? ■■ Yes ■■ No

2. Did you see sustained flea beetle pressure in last year’scrop (they kept coming seemingly in waves)? ■■ Yes ■■ No

3. Did you see a high number of flea beetles during lastyear’s harvest (plants thick with insects and significantfeeding damage)? ■■ Yes ■■ No

4. Do you typically have to spray with a foliar insecticide? ■■ Yes ■■ No5. Do you routinely blend your canola seed with a

granular insecticide? ■■ Yes ■■ No6. Do you typically seed early (late April, early May) when

environmental conditions are not conducive to rapidplant growth? ■■ Yes ■■ No

HIGH RISK. If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, you are more thanlikely at a high risk of experiencing heavy and sustained flea beetle infestations inthe coming spring and you should consider having your canola seed treated withHelix XTra. You can count on Helix XTra to provide 28 to 35 days of flea beetleprotection after emergence.

LOW RISK. If you answered “no” to most of these questions, you are more likely toexperience low to moderate flea beetle pressure next spring. You should considerhaving your canola seed treated with Helix, which provides 14 to 21 days of protection.

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Still not sure? If your assessment reveals that you had low to moderate flea beetlepressure last year, and can’t decide if you need extended flea beetle protection, askyourself the following:

1. Do you expect this winter to be mild overall (no sustainedtemperatures of -25 C or lower)? ■■ Yes ■■ No

2. Do you anticipate having good snow cover on your land thiswinter, particularly in shelterbelts, field edges and ditches? ■■ Yes ■■ No

If you answered “yes” to either one of these questions, it’s likely that overwinteringflea beetles will survive the winter and emerge in healthy and hungry populationscome spring. Snow cover and mild temperatures result in lower winterkill rates,adding to your risk factors. Consider choosing Helix XTra for that added protection.

APPENDIX II – SEEDING DECISIONS

The bottom line with canola stand establishment is that the healthier and morevigorous the plants are, the better able they are to outgrow early season challengeslike cool, backward weather, or dry conditions, or flea beetle feeding. The slower youngcanola seedlings grow, the more vulnerable they are to these kinds of stresses. Theseeding decisions you make in the spring can have a huge impact on whether yourcrop gets out of the ground quickly and off to a great start or not. What are you doingto minimize your canola stand establishment risk factors.

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Low Risk High Risk

- Long rotations (canola every four years) - Short rotations (canola every two years or less)

- Soil temperature 10 C or higher - Soil temperature less than 10 C

- Seed early (mid-May) - Seed too early (late April, early May)

- Optimum seeding rate (5 to 6 lb./ac.) - Low seeding rate (less than 4.5 lb./ac.)

- Shallow seeding (1 inch or less) - Deep seeding (greater than 1 inch)

- Uniform seed/fertilizer placement - Variable seed/fertilizer placement

- Balanced fertility - Poor fertility

- Herbicide rotation practices that - Herbicide rotation practices that minimize carryover accentuates carryover

- Appropriate seed treatment based on - No seed treatment, or inappropriatelast fall’s flea beetle populations seed treatment based on last fall’s

flea beetle populations

- Regular field scouting after emergence - Irregular or no field scouting after emergence

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IMPORTANT NOTE: Achieving strong stand establishment is the result of anintegrated management plan that focuses equally on managing disease and insectcycles, minimizing herbicide carryover through proper rotations, managing plantdensities through proper seeding practices, optimizing fertility and regular fieldscouting. The more low-risk practices you use, the better your chances of achievingstrong stand establishment and, ultimately, a high-quality, high-yielding canola crop.

References

There are many resources for canola growers inWestern Canada to draw on for valuable, accurateproduction information. If you have questionsor concerns about your canola crop, contactany one of these resources for help.

The Canola Council of Canada400-167 Lombard AvenueWinnipeg, MB R3B 0T6

Ph: (204) 982-2100Fax: (204) 942-1841e-mail: admin@canola-council.orgWeb: www.canola-council.org

The Canola Agronomy NetworkSponsored by the CCC, and tapping into theknowledge of CCC agronomists, researchers,industry agronomists and government extensionspecialists, the Canola Agronomy Network offersjust-in-time canola information to growersvia the Internet.

Web: www.canola-council.org/production/agronomy_net.html

Alberta Agriculture Foodand Rural DevelopmentMurray HartmanOilseed SpecialistMain Floor, Agriculture Building5030 - 50 StreetLacombe, AB T4L 1W8

Ph: (403) 782-8024Fax: (403) 782-5514e-mail: murray.hartman@gov.ab.caWeb: www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/app21/rtw/index.jsp

Saskatchewan Agriculture Foodand Rural RevitalizationWilliam GreuelProvincial Specialist, Oilseedsand Transgenic CropsRoom 125, 3085 Albert StreetRegina, SK S4S 0B1

Ph: (306) 787-2756Fax: (306) 787-0428e-mail: WGreuel@agr.gov.sk.caWeb: www.agr.gov.sk.ca

Manitoba Agriculture, Foodand Rural InitiativesRob ParkOilseeds Specialist65 3rd Avenue NECarman, MB R0G 0J0

Ph: (204) 745-5665Fax: (204) 745-5690e-mail: rpark@gov.mb.caWeb: www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/index.shtml

Syngenta Crop Protection Canada, Inc.Rick IsteadCrop Manager, Seed Treatments300, 6700 Macleod Trail SouthCalgary, AB T2H 0L3

Ph: (403) 219-5400Fax: (403) 219-5401e-mail: rick.istead@syngenta.comWeb: www.farmassist.caCustomer Resource Centre: 1-800-665-9250

Photo Credits:

Middle photo on page 9 courtesyof Alberta Research Council.

Photos on pages 3, 4, 12 and 19courtesy of the Canola Council of Canada.

Top photo on page 5 and middle photoon page 8 courtesy of 20/20 Seed Labs Inc.

Committed to helping you grow the best canola crop.

For more information, please contact our Customer Resource Centre at1-800-665-9250, or visit us at www.farmassist.ca

®HELIX, MATADOR and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta group company.

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