Canada
May 19, 2009
Recent snowfall and frost in
Alberta and some other parts of the Prairies may be prompting
canola growers to consider reseeding, but the
Canola Council of Canada
(CCC) urges producers to wait a few days or longer to assess the
damage.
"Resist the urge to immediately reseed, as recovery may turn out
to be better than expected, especially if seed has not yet
germinated or the young seedlings have become acclimated to the
cold," advises CCC senior agronomist Doug Moisey. "The snow
cover will act like a blanket in some respects and may protect
the crop, especially if the snow cover came prior to the severe
freezing temperatures, although the plants will be under
stress."
"If the seed that has not germinated is still hard/firm, not
soft/mushy, it likely will be fine."
After several days of near freezing temperatures, emerging
canola that is near the surface or that emerged under cool
conditions will undergo a gradual hardening process, allowing
the plants to withstand freezing temperatures without serious
damage.
Studies have shown that early-seeded canola seedlings that had
undergone hardening could withstand minus 8 to minus 12°C
temperatures. That’s because cooler conditions result in plants
that are slower growing, producing smaller cells that have a
higher concentration of soluble substances that make them more
resistant to frost damage. This hardening off process helps
defend plants against the chain of plant gene activities set off
by cold weather that produce or degrade the proteins that
protect plant cells.
Growers should wait at least 3-5 days or longer depending on
growing conditions to assess their canola crops, says Moisey.
For more information in your area, contact:
Derwyn Hammond, Manitoba
Region, 204-729-9011
Jim Bessel, North Central and North Eastern Saskatchewan,
306-373-6771
Tiffany Gutzke, Eastern Saskatchewan, 306-231-3663
Doug Moisey, East Central Alberta and Northwestern
Saskatchewan, 780-645-9205
Matthew Stanford, Southern Alberta and Southwestern
Saskatchewan, 403-345-4852
John Mayko, West Central Alberta, 780-764-2593
Erin Brock, Peace Region, 780-568-3326
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