Agricultural News
Oklahoma's Winter Canola Crop Looking Really Good, Heath Sanders Says
Fri, 20 Dec 2013 14:05:46 CST
This fall's warm weather and moist conditions allowed canola producers to get their crop in the ground in pretty good shape and Heath Sanders of the Great Plains Canola Association says the crop is looking good even though most fields have burned down due to the colder winter temperatures of late.
"This canola is in what I call dormancy or hibernating mode. It has really melted down and is just sitting there, waiting on the warmer temperatures and longer growing days coming in the spring. Cosmetically, it looks pretty rough, but if you go out there and brush away those leaves you'll see those growing points, the crowns, are still alive.
"If you're a farmer concerned or a producer concerned, go out there and check your fields. I'm still seeing a tint of green across the field. In years past where the canola maybe stayed a little greener throughout the winter, this year we're not going to see that. We're going to see a lot of burnt leaves, brown leaves, white leaves, stuff like that throughout the field, but as long as that growing point is still green, it's still alive."
One difference from last year's crop to this, Sanders says, is the health of the stands.
"We've got a lot better stands, especially in northern Oklahoma. I've seen bigger canola plants, more robust canola plants. A lot of this canola was in really good shape, good size before the cold snaps came in. There's a lot of good looking winter canola out here this year. A lot of guys are pretty happy with their stands."
Sanders says with the crop looking so good, it's very important for producers to stay on top of things to head off any potential pest problems before they get out of hand.
"It's always good to go out there to check and see. Turn over the leaves and see if you're starting to see some aphids creep in. But, generally this time of the year, everything's just kind of tucked away waiting on things to green up and start growing and that's typically when we see some insect pressure come in, but it's always good to be out looking and being aware of what your crop looks like, checking its progress to see if anything looks out of the ordinary.
"Guys are thinking about, maybe, top dressing here at the end of this year or the first of the next year. Definitely be thinking about that."
Sanders says producers may see some weeds creeping in, but the cold weather will probably keep them in check until about mid-February. He says growers should wait until the weather is above 50 or 55 degrees for a couple of days in a row to spray Roundup for maximum effectiveness.
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