Category Archives: Disease

Pulse Crops. Could they fit on Your Farm?

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One topic that continues to be talked about among many producers is rotation. The most common concern is the effects of tight rotations. Could tight rotations create negative consequences or long lasting problems in producer’s fields? Are there additional costs by keeping tight rotations? Do we create more disease and insect risks by following a tight rotation? What options are there to improve our rotations that are profitable? One option could be to include a pulse crop into your rotation. There are many biased opinions and common misconceptions regarding growing pulse crops. The most common misconception about pulse crops is that they are a low or no input crop. This is completely not true. Pulse crops should be treated as fairly as your cereal or oil seed crops. They require strong nutrient programs as well as watching for bugs and disease closely. At McRae’s, we have seen very positive results in pulse crops when we have treated them as equally important as the other crops we grow. Strong fertility programs, regular scouting and disease awareness could lead to some high yielding and highly profitable returns.

At time of writing, we are experiencing some extremely strong prices for both peas and lentils. Currently #2 mid to large green peas are trading around $14.00 per bushel. Yellow peas are trading around $9.00 per bushel. Green lentils trade around 24 cents per pound which equals $14.40 per bushel and red lentils trade around 22 cents per pound or $13.20 per bushel. The pulse market can be very frustrating at times which can lead to large spikes and huge drops in pricing. Often, increases in seeded acreage and slow world demand can create huge decreases in pricing turning producers off from planting pulse crops.

The key is to keep a strong fertility program while growing peas or lentils and it will increase your yield potential. Peas and lentils require strong amounts of phosphorus, potassium and sulfur. We have also seen positive results by adding boron and calcium to the seed row. Soil testing is recommended prior to growing peas or lentils to be sure proper nutrients are applied. Recommended seed placed blends will be similar to those required for cereals or oil seeds. Next thing to decide is whether growing a pulse crop is right for you. Perhaps, the best way to decide whether a pulse crop could fit in your operation is to make a pros and cons list.

 

Let’s start with the pros:

• Another option to include in rotation.

• Peas and lentils fix their own nitrogen, which can help reduce nitrogen fertilizer costs for the farm.

• It’s a good crop for the land and good to follow with a cereal which can also reduce nitrogen needs.

• New varieties with better disease tolerance and chemical options.

• New varieties with potential of high yields.

• Strong prices which can result in good returns per acre.

• Lentils have good drought tolerance and can be grown on almost any soil type.

• Peas and lentils have good cold weather and early season frost tolerance which means they can be seeded early.

• New marketing options make it easier to sell product.

• Desiccating is encouraged which can help rid the farm of unwanted winter annuals.

• Newer varieties have stronger genetics with reduced lodging.

• New markets opening all the time.

 

Here are some cons:

• Require frequent scouting.

• A high moisture seasons could lead to high disease pressure.

• Strong potential for lodging.

• Lentils are a short growing crop and can be difficult to harvest.

• Pea straw can get damp in the evening making it almost impossible to harvest after dusk.

• Fluctuating markets, which may require long storage time.

• Require more effort to market.

• Serious disease pressure can lead to severely reduced yields.

• Trash can be difficult to manage and create issues in the spring.

• Can be infected by sclerotinia.

 

There are obviously more pros and cons to growing pulse crops and those are things that have to be decided on an individual basis. Most producers could adapt quickly to including pulse crops into a rotation. My suggestion would be to try a quarter or two to start, keeping the risk low. Another suggestion would be to consult your agronomist about varieties and fertility advice to maximize your yield potential. Other advice to producers would be to watch markets closely and reduce risk by over planting pulses in their rotation. We at McRae Holdings are prepared to help producers manage their operations and offer advice on a large variety cropping options, including pulses.

If you have any further questions about growing pulses feel free to contact the McRae agronomy team.

Happy farming. Daniel Konopelski.

 

Let’s Talk Crop Plans

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Having a fully planned out crop plan on January 1 of the year may be a difficult thing for most producers to do, but it is important to plan early. Why you may ask? Planning ahead has always led to successful execution of a said plan when the time has arrived. We like to talk about crop plans early so that when the drills hit the field, we are not asking the question, so what are we doing on this field? Here are some helpful tips when making your crop plans for this upcoming 2013 crop year.

- Rotation. When making crop plans crop rotation can be one of the most important components to take into consideration. Not only is it for disease pressure, but includes chemical rotation as well. Certain weeds are starting to have chemical resistance issues so rotating chemicals can be as important if not more important than crop rotation. Disease pressure is another reason for rotating crops. Tight rotations of canola for example could lead to possible disease pressures under the right conditions.

- Straw residue. We like to mention this following a big production year because when there is excess straw and chaff residue our nitrogen requirements go up. We will require more N to help break down remaining residue, which is an important factor prior to seeding.

- Seed selection. We like to discuss seed selection in advance because good seed is important for establishing a healthy crop. Sending away seed samples for germ and vigor tests as well as a disease screen is also very important. We want to give our crop the best chance we can right at the start. Also, proper seed selection can be important if your area has disease challenges such as club root, black leg, stripe rust or powdery mildew, just to name a few.

- Seeding timing. Proper planting timing is very important for all crops. For producers that are planting multiple types of crops proper seeding timing is important to plan prior to hitting the field. Some crops should be planted early while others can wait till a bit later. A proper seeding plan will save time and help prepare you for potential weather events or delays.

- Budget. Planning a budget early is very important. With fluctuating markets for grains and fertilizer having a budget plan laid out can help make important seeding decisions. With a carefully planned budget it may make sense to change up certain seeding plans. A full budget would include the following costs: seed, seed treatment, fertilizer, herbicide, fungicide, insecticide, planting, chemical application, irrigation, harvest, custom work, taxes, rent lease or land payments, labor, fuel, equipment, and any other fixed or variable expenses. Knowing these and planning for these expenses ahead of time will prepare you for any surprises.

- Soil tests. Planning for fertilizer requirements is a very important factor in a crop plan. A properly taken soil test can be invaluable for making fertilizer recommendations. We encourage producers to take soil samples so we know what amounts of nutrients may be required. Remember it all starts at the roots.

By taking these points into consideration we can begin making our 2013 crop plans. We invite producers that are having a difficult time making crop plans to contact any member of the agronomy team at McRae holdings to assist them. A new year means new opportunities and all of us at McRae’s wish you all the best in the 2013 crop year. Happy farming.

Dan Konopelski

 

Week in Review- June 30, 2012

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We may look back on a nice week where crops accelerated at an amazing pace.

Alfalfa first cut should be off by about now. Later cut parcels will have higher AFD levels, test your feed. Check for Alfalfa weevil and spray as needed.

Most cereal crops are in the flag leaf stage. We need to decide if we are spraying or not! Irrigated crops are very lush and most subject to leaf disease.

Canola crops are flowering right now. Bug pressure is substantial, scout often. Sclerotinia pressure has been very high in the last few years. Not spraying is NOT an option.

All crops need IRRIGATION right now, monitor your water. NO we did NOT get too much rain. Drill a few holes and turn that pivot ON.

We have been blessed this week,

May your bushels be BIG…..

 

Chinook Crop Care Ltd per

Jack Feenstra CCA

 

 

Beware of Blackleg

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As the season progresses and as conditions stay cool and damp the possibility for Blackleg to appear in canola is greater. Blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans) is a fungus that can cause significant damage and yield reduction to a canola crop under the proper conditions. Blackleg is a fungus that can come from infected seed or from spores created by old infected canola stubble residue. There are two types of strains mildly virulent and highly virulent which can infect canola crops. The mildly virulent strain will cause minimal damage and minimal yield loss. The highly virulent strain can cause significant damage and yield loss. Blackleg can infect canola plants as early as the cotyledon stage up to the early maturing stage of the plant. While it is extremely difficult to spot at the early onset of infection, grayish white legions can appear on stems or leaves with tiny pepper like black spots or spores, called pycnidia which can be spread by wind or rain to neighboring plants and infect them as well. It is recommended that farmers use preventative maintenance to avoid blackleg infections in their canola crops. Some of the tools to prevent Blackleg infection in your crop would be to:

First: select Blackleg resistant varieties which will be the best way to prevent the disease in your fields.

Second: is rotation. Canola crops grown back to back or in very short rotations are more susceptible to infection.

Third: is to use fungicides to treat crops that may be susceptible to the disease.

On some of our scouting trip this summer we have found Blackleg spores growing on old canola stubble below the crop canopy. The cool wet conditions are ideal for the growth of the spores. Some spores can travel several kilometers in the wind so beware of neighboring fields that had canola in their rotation in previous years. It is important to scout fields around the time of swathing to identify if black leg has indeed infected your crop. By doing this it can help farmers make decisions to prevent the disease in future crop years. If you think you may have the potential to have blackleg infections in your canola crop, please speak to your chemical reps about possible fungicide applications. Some registered fungicides have staging and pre harvest restrictions as well as export restrictions on harvested grain treated with certain fungicides.

As the growing season progresses and the country side turns yellow we invite producers to keep scouting fields and look for possible disease issues or insect pressure. Stay tuned for more information on other diseases and insect information. Enjoy your summer and happy farming.

Ramblings from Dan.