The USDA reported in its January 12 Production Report that U.S. canola yields in 2011 averaged 1,475 pounds per acre.  This is up 16 pounds from the October USDA forecast.  Planted area is estimated at 1.07 million acres, 27 percent below last year's acreage.  For the 2011 canola crop, USDA estimated U.S. production at 1.54 billion pounds, down 37 percent from 2010. 

In North Dakota, the largest canola producing state in the U.S., total production was 1.28 billion pounds, down 42 percent from last year.  Planted acres in North Dakota totaled 860,000 acres, down 33 percent due to extremely wet conditions during the spring in the northern part of the state. Average yields, at 1,500 pounds per acre, were revised upwards from the October forecast.

Join us Wednesday, February 8th at the Langdon Activity Center for the 15th Annual Canola Day. Attendees will hear the latest information on NCGA Canola Research and market trends impacting the canola industry.  A social will be held Tuesday night at the Stables in Langdon.

Canadian reporting agency Statistics Canada released its updated 2011 Canadian crop production estimates for 2011. Canola production was revised upwards significantly to 14.16 million tons (MMT), up 9.7% from earlier estimates of 12.9 MMT.  Harvested acres rose to a record 18.3 million acres.

Canola production reached records in Alberta (5.3 million MMT) and Saskatchewan (7 million MMT), driven by record levels of harvested acres in both provinces and a record yield in Alberta. In Manitoba, canola production declined 25% due to very wet conditions at planting.

The canola estimate was at the high end of trade estimates, which ranged from 13.5 MMT to 14.4 MMT.

DECATUR, Ill., Nov. 14, 2011 - Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) today announced that it will build a 265 million liter (70 million gallon) biodiesel plant in Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada, which will increase ADM's North American biodiesel production capacity by 50 percent. The biodiesel plant will be located adjacent to the company's existing canola crushing facility in Lloydminster which will help optimize ADM's agricultural origination, transportation and processing assets in Canada.

"The same agricultural processing operations we use to transform canola into oil for food and meal for animal feed also provide ADM with the ability and scale to efficiently produce cleaner-burning, renewable biodiesel," said Mike Livergood, ADM vice president, global oleo chemicals. "This new biodiesel facility will help support canola crush margins and capacity utilization at this facility."

Biodiesel produced at ADM's facility in Lloydminster will help fulfill Canada's renewable diesel mandate. Since July 1, 2011, all diesel fuel and heating oil sold in Canada must contain at least 2 percent biodiesel.

If you had a heavy frost... below 28 degrees: Wait 4-6 hours and go out early this afternoon and assess the damage. Check pods for a white, wilted appearance. Pod shatter and pod drop could begin within a day, especially with warm sunny afternoons. If pods are desiccating rapidly, swathing right away will preserve as much yield as possible.

If you had a light frost... above 28 degrees: Hold off swathing. Check this afternoon for wilting to make sure frost damage was not heavier than expected. You may see some speckling on the stem and pods, but this is of no concern as long as the plant is still alive. If no wilting, leave the crop standing and check daily.

Recently, Statistics Canada (StatCan) reported that 2011 canola production will likely be 13.19 million tons, which was at the low end of trade estimates. Ending stocks for the current marketing year were expected to be as low as 800,000 tons. Now, after StatCan issued its stocks report on Tuesday, it raised old crop canola carryout to 1.8 MMT, way up from trade guesses that ranged from 700,000 to 1.3 MMT. This was done by increasing 2010 production by a whopping 900,000 tons, to 12.77 MMT. The result is a projected ending stocks estimate for canola in 2011/12 to 1.17 MMT, rather than 800,000.

It is being suggested that 2010 production may still be understated and may be revised higher in a future report. This revision higher also increases the trade's view that 2011 production may also be revised higher to a level of perhaps 13.5 MMT. The canola market has absorbed the higher production very well. Market analysts state that there is plenty of demand for the canola market in the year ahead to absorb this extra supply without negatively affecting prices.

 I’ve received many calls and emails about all of the white butterflies flying around ditches, canola, and other areas and whether they are an insect pest. These butterflies belong to the insect family Pieridae and to the group called Sulphurs and Whites, which are usually white or yellow in color. Most of their caterpillars are green, usually with one or more pale lateral stripes. Their body surface is covered with minute hairs, which gives them a velvety appearance. Larvae of resident species overwinter as chrysalis.

Janet J. Knodel, PhD
Extension Entomologist & Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology
NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

Producers, agricultural consultants and others interested in agriculture can use an updated canola production (spiral bound) pocket field guide to obtain the latest information about canola production, according to Hans Kandel, North Dakota State University Extension Service agronomist. "The previous field guide was published in 2005 and was in need of major updates, especially on the canola diseases of blackleg and sclerotinia, canola insects, weed management, desiccation at harvest and other management issues," Kandel says.

NDSU Extension staff and other canola specialists wrote the revised and reviewed guide.  The field guide also has a photo section at the back of the publication with pictures of weeds, insects and diseases.The publication is a comprehensive guide for those considering or growing canola. Some of the topics include canola varieties; growth stages; field selection; planting dates; soil fertility requirements; weed, insect and disease management and control; frost tolerance and damage; swathing and harvest management; resource contacts and publications; and useful websites.

A Web version of the guide can be found at http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/crops/a1280.pdf or the publication can be obtained from the NDSU Distribution Center for $6 per copy, which includes shipping and handling. Call (701) 231-7882 or email NDSU.DistributionCenter@ndsu.edu for information or order online at www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs.

The publication can also be accessed on the Northern Canola Growers Association website under the "Growers Information" tab and then clicking on "Growers Manual". 

The "Canola Production Field Guide" (A-1280) was funded by the Northern Canola Growers Association and produced by the North Dakota State University Extension Service.

In the last two years we have had very high levels of white mold. This has left our fields infested with high levels of sclerotia that can produce lots of inoculum. Although we have had plenty of rain for sclerotia germination, the heat is going to impair the ability of the pathogen to cause infections. Crops are susceptible to white mold once they enter bloom.   Ascospores will colonize flower petals first, and from there the fungus will penetrate into the rest of the plant, eventually causing the characteristic cream colored and shredded lesion.  For this to occur, several environmental factors need to come together.First, enough soil moisture must be present to allow sclerotia to germinate and produce ascospores.  Generally the minimum rainfall needed is 1 to 2 inches within 1 to 2 weeks of bloom. Secondly, you need a favorable environment during bloom; namely, wet canopies (heavy dew, rain, etc), and cool to moderate temperatures. According to the weather forecast, we are going to be HOT as soybeans, dry beans, and canola are blooming.  According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in North Dakota will reach the high 80's and low to mid 90's by weeks end, and stay there for the remainder of the 10- day forecast.  The white mold pathogen is much less of a threat when temperatures are above 85F.  If the weather forecast is accurate and your crops are blooming when temperatures are in the 90's I would expect few infections until the temperature drops.  This is great, because the infections that occur closest to bloom are the most yield limiting.  Those early infections are often lower on the plant and have the most time to develop and subsequently cause yield loss. When the temperature drops infections can occur, but these late infections are often on lateral branches, and have less time to develop lesions.

Sam Markell - Plant Pathologist

Most blister beetle species have one generation per year and Lytta species are predaceous on bee nests as immature. Adult blister beetles are attracted to blooming canola fields, where they are ravenous feeders devouring leaves, stems, flowers, and pods. Blister beetles are mobile and gregarious, and often congregate in certain spots in a field. In some instances, blister beetles feed for a short period of time and then migrate to other plants or fields. Alfalfa is an alternative host of blister beetles and they often move into canola fields when the alfalfa is cut. Blister beetles produce a toxin (cantharidin) which extremely poisonous is if ingested by horses and to a lesser degree by other livestock (sheep and beef cattle).

Janet J. Knodel - Extension Entomologist

The diamondback moth has been observed in canola in northeastern ND. The severity of diamondback moth infestations depends on the overwintering population in the southern states and how many moths migrate into North Dakota.

The level of feeding injury varies greatly and depends on larval densities and plant growth stage. Larvae feed on the leaves, buds, flowers, seed pods, the green outer layer of the stems and, occasionally, on the developing seeds. Mature larvae are green and about ½ inch long and spin down on a strand of silk when disturbed.

From the June 29 NDSU Crop & Pest Report:

Last week I toured the northern region of North Dakota. In the Mohall area, many fields were too wet this spring to plant to a crop.

Some of last year's canola fields were in bloom with volunteer canola plants because even if canola is harvested as carefully as possible, there are always seed losses. With only a few percent loss, the amount of seeds left behind in the field last fall, were higher than a typical seeding rate. The fields I observed had very dense stands resulting in short plants.

There are several issues with these volunteer canola fields. The positive aspect is that the canola is acting as an ‘un-intended' cover crop, using some of the excess moisture in the soil, protecting the soil, and potentially contributing some biomass back into the soil. Some of the negative aspects are that the canola can potentially attract flea beetles which can feed on the volunteer plants (and potentially neighboring production fields). With the wet conditions sclerotinia or white mold might be anticipated in the volunteer canola. This may result in an increase of sclerotia (surviving pathogen structures) in the field. There will also be the potential that seed will be produced, which could increase the canola seed bank and cause issues in future crops. Canola seed can result in volunteer plants for several years following canola. Canola volunteer plants in following crops will compete with the crop and may have a negative effect on the yield of the future planted crop, depending on the volunteer canola density.

Hans Kandel - Extension Agronomist Broadleaf crops

The Northern Canola Growers Association will be holding a canola tour and combine clinic at Langdon on July 7th.

Registrations can no longer be taken for the Langdon Golf Tournament to be held immediately following the canola research tour and combine clinic on Thursday, July 7^th as the tournament is filled up.  Over 120 players have signed up for the tournament.

We thank everyone for their support of the industry.

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) launched a large public outreach effort this week.  The Northern Canola Growers Association is a contributing sponsor of this initiative.  Below is the NBB press release announcing the initiative:

WASHINGTON - The U.S. biodiesel industry this week is launching its largest-ever public outreach effort. The paid ad buy will raise awareness of the economic, environmental and national security benefits of the nation's first and only EPA-designated advanced biofuel to reach nationwide production. 

 The multi-million dollar project will include national television advertising, coupled with regional print and radio advertising as well as an online presence. The centerpiece of the education effort is a 30-second spot that will air across the nation on Sunday-morning network talk shows, beginning this Sunday, June 19th. The ads feature the tagline, "Biodiesel. America's Advanced Biofuel" and focus on biodiesel's viability here and now. The television spot highlights biodiesel use in the Dallas area to demonstrate the fuel's practical, common-sense appeal in communities across the country.   View the television commercial here: www.AmericasAdvancedBiofuel.com.        

 "The public generally doesn't know that there is an advanced biofuel here now," said Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), the industry trade association. "This is not some pipedream. Biodiesel today is fueling long-haul trucks from Florida to California, municipal buses in Texas, Ford pickups in Detroit, and Volkswagens in New York City."

 "It's helping communities reduce air pollution while cutting greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change," Jobe said. "It's creating jobs and economic growth while generating hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues. And it's reducing our heavy dependence on foreign oil, the single largest component of our massive national trade deficit.

Canola producers contemplating taking PP on canola this year are reminded of several reasons that suggest planting canola will likely be a better option:

1.  The pace of canola planting in North Dakota is not that far off the planting pace from the record 2009 canola crop.  In 2009, canola planting was at 23% completed on May 17 compared to 8% completed on May 17 of 2011.  Canola yields in 2009 were at a record 1,840 pounds per acre.

2.  Canola prices strongly suggest planting a crop is the better option.  Not only are current prices the highest ever seen at this time of year, but the spring weather has the potential to cause explosively higher canola prices if crops north of the border do not get planted.  For every percentage reduction that you may get from a later planted crop, a corresponding increase in prices may more than make up the difference, resulting in a higher return per acre.

3.  Actual grower experience.  Actual grower experience has shown that canola planted into mid-June in the north central to north east growing regions of North Dakota still produced yields exceeding 1,600 pounds per acre, with many having experienced yields in excess of 2,000 pounds.  Newer genetics available today are more likely to perform even better than the varieties planted in prior years.

4.  Do not assume growing season will heat up.  Weather forecasts support the likelihood of continued cool, wet weather in 2011, which will greatly benefit a cool-season crop such as canola.  Cooler than normal conditions in the summer, combined with adequate moisture conditions, will allow canola to continue to bloom and fill in the top pods, increasing the chances of excellent yields.

The North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service has recently published its estimates of canola production by county for the 2010 crop year. Cavalier county led the state in planted acreage at 262,000 acres, a 77% increase from 2009.  Cavalier county also led the state in average yield at 1,960 pounds per acre.  Rolette county ranked second in average yield at 1,920 pounds per acre, with Burleigh county coming in third at 1,890 pounds per acre.  Average yields in the state were 1,720 pounds, the second-highest on record. Total canola production in North Dakota was a record 2.18 billion pounds, a 64% increase from 2009.

Total value of canola production in North Dakota was also at a record $437 million.

Click on the pdf below to view the county estimates.

The USDA Risk Management Agency recently announced the 2011 Crop Insurance Price Elections for canola at $26.30 per hundredweight.  2011 is the first year of the new Common Crop Insurance Policy (Combo) that replaced APH and Revenue Assurance for various crops. Producers have the option of choosing Yield Protection, Revenue Protection and Revenue Protection with the Harvest Price Exclusion. All three policies have the same price election.

Growers are encouraged to contact their crop insurance agents to determine the dollar amounts of coverage they can obtain based on this price.

Dow AgroSciences Canada says it can take all the Nexera canola farmers can produce due to overwhelming demand for the omega 9 oil it produces.

“We’ll contract as much as we can get acres for, frankly,” said David Dzisiak, Dow’s North American commercial leader for grains and oils.

Over the past few months Dow has landed big new food company accounts hungry for the company’s high oleic canola oil.

“PepsiCo in North America is going to adopt 0mega 9 canola oil as their primary oil within their snacks business, which is a huge win for the canola industry,” said Dzisiak.

The Northern Canola Growers Association’s 2011 Canola Excellence Award was awarded to Ron Beneda of Langdon, ND at its 14th Annual Canola Day recently. The Canola Excellence Award was established to recognize individuals that have significantly contributed to the success of the canola industry, within North Dakota and nationally.

Beneda is the authority on canola production in North Dakota, having served as a county agent for North Dakota State University for 33 years.  Beneda was instrumental in helping canola growers get established with canola in the early 80's in the northeast region of North Dakota.  Ron's knowledge and expertise in the canola industry has been invaluable to producers over the years.  Ron has been a tireless supporter of the canola industry and for that we are extremely grateful.  Congratulations to Ron!

The genome of the Blackleg fungus, which causes the most damaging disease to canola crops worldwide, has been sequenced for the first time by a team of French and Australian scientists.

Professor Barbara Howlett from the School of Botany at the University of Melbourne, who led the Australian research team, said the discovery was a significant step towards controlling the rampant Blackleg disease.

"The 12,500 genes that constitute the genetic blue print for the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans have been identified and now can be mined to discover how this fungus causes the deadly disease," she said.

Blackleg disease can devastate crops. The fungus reproduces so prolifically that it develops into genetically diverse populations that can quickly overcome the efficacy of resistance genes in canola crops.

"We have known for a long time that this fungus can evolve to become virulent and cause disease very quickly. Now we are much better placed to tell farmers which canola varieties they should sow to maximize their yield," she said.

Northstar Agri Industries LLC anounced today that it has secured financing for a $160 million canola processing plant and refinery to be built near Hallock, Minnesota.  Construction is set to begin after the first of the year with the plant expected to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2012.

See the press release below for more information.

North Dakota State University has published its 2010 compilation of canola variety trials from research locations across the state.  The link to the publication is located under the "Growers Information" tab on the left, then click on "Variety Trials."

The publication can also be accessed as a pdf below.

ST. LOUIS - Bunge Ltd. will more than double capacity at its canola processing plant in Altona, Manitoba in Canada, the international agribusiness and food company said Tuesday.

The expansion should be complete for the 2012 harvest. The company did not say what it was spending on the project, which is part of an effort to expand four processing plants in Western Canada.

Bunge North America CEO Soren Schroder said Canada is an important region for Bunge as it grows to meet increasing demand for canola oil and meal.

Capacity will go from 1,100 metric tons a day to 2,500 metric tons a day. The company said it would also add a new deodorizer to fully process the oil.

The EPA has announced that it has completed its findings that canola oil based biodiesel meets the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction threshold to qualify for inclusion in the Renewable Fuel Standard 2 Program.  This puts canola oil on an equal footing with soy oil, resulting in canola biodiesel qualifying as an advanced biofuel and as a biomass-based diesel.  Edible oil is the main market driver for canola oil, given its high quality characteristics, but the biodiesel market will provide a higher price floor for canola oil and support overall demand.

The Northern Canola Growers Association is once again sponsoring canola harvest reports through the Red River Farm Network.  Canola Harvest Reports can be accessed at this Red River Farm Network In-Depth site by scrolling down to "Northern Canola Growers Association Harvest Reports."

http://www.rrfn.com/indepth.php

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Scientists conducting field research in North Dakota confirmed that canola produced by modern biotechnology ("genetically modified" or "biotech"), like conventional canola, can establish "volunteer" plants outside of agricultural fields. The results, presented today in a poster at the Ecological Society of America's annual meeting, showed that 86 percent of 406 canola plants tested positive for traits that confer tolerance to either glyphosate or glufonisate herbicide - currently, the only two biotech traits available in canola. The plants were collected from 5,400 kilometers of interstate, state and county roads in North Dakota.

"Because 85 to 90 percent of the U.S. and Canadian canola crop is grown from biotech seeds, we would expect the same percentage to be reflected in volunteer canola," said Barry Coleman, executive director of the Northern Canola Growers Association and canola grower in North Dakota. "As with conventional canola production, it is not unusual or concerning that volunteer biotech canola was found on roadsides due to occasional seeds being misplaced during transport or harvesting."

When biotech canola was originally evaluated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), they recognized that like traditional canola, biotech canola would volunteer and might require management in some areas. The USDA found no evidence that biotech canola would be more apt than traditional canola to outcompete other plant species. The agencies also considered the possibility that canola would breed with other species. The CFIA concluded that such crosses would not be invasive, nor result in increased weediness or invasiveness, and could be managed by current agronomic practices.

New Healthier Oils for Bakery Snacks and Packaged Foods

By Mike Stones, 26-Jul-2010

Made from canola and sunflower seeds, the oils are said to have a ‘unique’ combination of high oleic and low linolenic fatty acids that delivers the benefits without oil performance or food taste.

Improved health, performance and flavor attributes are claimed for the new Omega-9 Oils Ingredient Solutions from Dow AgroSciences designed for use in baked goods, snacks and packaged foods. Dow’s David Dzisiak, commercial leader oils, said: “Omega-9 Oils have a healthier profile with zero trans fat, the lowest level of saturated fats among cooking oils, and are uniquely high in heart-healthy monounsaturated (omega-9) fat.”

A recent study by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) revealed that more US consumers (69 percent) are concerned by the types of fat they consume than are worried about the amount of fat they consume (67 percent).

Nutrition panels

According to a company statement the oils can “improve nutrition panels by reducing the bad fats and increasing the good fat” to help produce products that have the following nutrition label statements:

·         Zero trans fat.

·         Low (or significant reduction in) saturated fat.

·         High heart-healthy monounsaturated (omega-9).

In addition to cleaner labels through simple ingredient lists, produced without hydrogenation, interesterification or additives, the oils maintain functional product qualities including flavor, texture, mouth-feel and shelf life, said Dzisiak.

“Because omega-3 shortening is naturally stable, it can provide equal or longer shelf life to products containing traditional, high saturated fat shortenings,” added Dzisiak. “This is achieved without the use of antioxidants preserving a cleaner product label that consumers want.”

Applications include spray oils, cooking oils and shortening for baked goods, snacks and packaged foods.

Breads and cakes

Food oil use in the US alone exceeds 22bn pounds per year. About 60 percent of food oil is used in packaged foods with the top four key uses being salad dressings and mayo, margarine, biscuit and crackers and breads and cakes.

About 30 percent of food oil is used in food service, primarily for use in frying foods with the remaining ten percent sold as cooking oil.

Meanwhile, the first US company to use Omega-9 Oils Ingredients Solutions is Weaver Popcorn, Noblesville, Indiana. The company’s new Pop Weaver microwavable popcorn has a more than 50 percent reduction in total fat including 60 percent less saturated fat.

“Other popcorn manufacturers were removing trans fats by using industry standard palm oil or coconut oil, both of which dramatically increase saturated or bad fats,” said Dzisiak. “Our Omega-9 Solutions Team helped Pop Weaver develop a smarter solution – one that maintained their signature taste while improving the health profile of the snack.”

The U.S. EPA has released a Notice of Data Availability (NODA) for its recent modeling of the canola oil biodiesel pathway. As of March 26, when the EPA officially announced the final rule for the revised renewable fuel standard (RFS2), the canola pathway had not been analyzed as a biofuel feedstock capable of meeting the required greenhouse gas reduction standards set by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Using the same RFS2 lifecycle analysis modeling approach for other biofuels already approved, the EPA stated that the canola oil biodiesel pathway creates a 50 percent reduction in GHG emissions compared to the diesel fuel baseline.

"These results, if finalized, would justify authorizing the generation of biomass-based diesel RINs for fuel produced by the canola oil biodiesel pathway modeled, assuming that the fuel meets the other definitional criteria for renewable fuel (e.g., produced from renewable biomass, and used to reduce or replace transportation fuel) specified in EISA," EPA said in the NODA memo.

For More Information:  http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=4303

The 2010 growing season has changed from cool and wet to warm and sunny growing conditions. Heat injury to canola plants may occur on hot sunny days, when air temperatures range from 85 to 95 F and soil temperatures rise to 100 F. Heat injury is most common when the plant is already under drought stress. When canola is in the bloom stage, heat blasting and/or flower abortion are possible. The start of flowering and the duration of bloom can vary from field to field and is related to the seeding date, variety, soil moisture and humidity during the hot periods. The duration of flowering can last up to 3 weeks. High temperatures during flowering shorten the time the flower is receptive to pollen, as well as the duration of pollen release and pollen viability. This can decrease the number of pods which develop, and the number of seeds per pod, resulting in lower yields. Because the flowers and pods develop sequentially on the stem, you may see no pods or limited pod growth in certain regions of the stem. This is a result of reduced pollination during extreme hot conditions. With good soil moisture, the flower abortion in canola will usually be minimized as compared to canola under drought stress. High temperatures at flowering will hasten the plant's development, reducing the time from flowering to maturity.

Once pods are formed, canola is more tolerant to high temperatures. Cool night temperatures may help the plant recover from extreme heat or dry weather. However, during the pod formation stage, a combination of heat and extreme drought will severely affect the pod development including formation of seeds, seed size and oil content. Canola plants will maintain the number of pods they can support through the process of plant photosynthesis under the given growing conditions. If there is stress during the time of the pod development some of the pods may abort. The seed oil content is highest when seeds mature under lower temperatures (50 to 70 F). High temperatures, drought and long days will accelerate maturity.

NDSU Crop & Pest Report

Hans Kandel
Extension Agronomist broadleaf crops
hans.kandel@ndsu.edu

Canola acres will hit a record in North Dakota in 2010.  According to the National Ag Statistics Service, North Dakota farmers planted 1,350,000 acres of canola in 2010, up from last year's 730,000 acres.  This is an 85% increase from last year's crop and also higher than the March Projected Plantings Report for North Dakota.  Record yields for canola in 2009, combined with strong prices were the main reasons for the large increase.

The USDA indicated 1.52 million acres of canola were planted in the U.S. this year, up from 814,000 from last year.

Lygus bugs have been caught in blooming canola fields.  At average application costs and canola prices, canola should be treated for Lygus bugs at the end of flowering if more than 15 bugs are caught in 10 sweeps (1.5 bugs/sweep).  Please refer to the following website for more specific information including different thresholds for cost and price variation: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex741

Diamond-backed moth (DBM) larvae have been found in a blooming canola field at the North Central Research Extension center.  Canola is most susceptible to injury from DBM at bloom to early pod development.  Insecticide applications are justified when two or more larvae per plant are found throughout a field.  For more information see: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/pests/e1346.htm

The risk for flea beetle damage has passed because the vast majority of fields in the area are near or beyond the six leaf stage. 

Dan Waldstein

NDSU North Central Research Extension Center

The first sclerotinia risk map of 2010 is out. Risk estimation for June 16 is low. Most canola fields are still in the bolting stage, stage that is not susceptible to Sclerotinia. While environmental conditions have been cool and humid in the past several days in many canola producing areas of the state, apothecia have not emerged yet, and the cumulative values for infection have not reached critical levels. This could change in the next few days if additional rain falls in the area.

Fungicides registered for control of Sclerotinia stem rot in North Dakota are: azoxystrobin (Quadris), boscalid (Endura), metconazole (Quash), prothioconazole (Proline), pyraclostrobin (Headline), and thiophanate methyl (Topsin). Also, the biological control compounds Serenade, Ballad Plus, and Polyversum are registered for use against Sclerotinia in foliar applications. For application rates consult your extension agent.

Click on Forecast Maps on the top of this page or go to

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/sclerotinia/

NDSU Canola Pathologist, Dr. Luis del Rio, will be deploying the Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) Risk Map for Canola for the 2010-season beginning June 16. The risk map uses weather variables to predict the threat of sclerotinia throughout the northern growing region. The risk map is designed to help producers determine if a fungicide application may be warranted for management of the disease.

The sclerotinia life-cycle begins when the overwintering structure, sclerotia, germinates and forms small mushroom-like structures called apothecia. Apothecia release ascospores, which can utilize canola petals as a food source. From those colonized petals, infection then progresses into branches and stems and can result in yield losses and lodging. Because the infection begins on flower petals, canola is only at risk for SSR during flowering. In general, 1-2 inches of rain within a week or two of flowering will provide a favorable environment for sclerotia germination and subsequent spore formation. Moderate temperatures and long dew periods (or rain) during bloom will favor infection and disease development.

The Northern Canola Growers Association funded a study this year of a potential population shift in the flea beetle from the crucifer flea beetle to the striped flea beetle.  Dan Waldstein of the NorthCentral Research Center in Minot initiated the study this spring, monitoring flea beetle populations throughout central and northern North Dakota.  The reason for concern is that it is believed the striped flea beetle is not controlled adequately with currently registered seed treatments.  His recent comments appeared in the NDSU Crop & Pest Report:

We have seen some flea beetle feeding in canola fields in the area but none above the 25% damage threshold that warrants an insecticide application. Striped flea beetles have been caught in our traps in McHenry, Ward, and Towner counties. The crucifer flea beetle has been the exclusive canola flea beetle species caught in traps in McKenzie, Renville, Bottineau, McLean, and Burleigh counties. In the areas where we've caught striped flea beetles, they comprise less than 10% of the total flea beetles caught. At this point, we have not observed the dramatic population shift from crucifer to the more insecticide tolerant striped flea beetles that areas of Canada have experienced.

The Northern Canola Growers Association summer canola research tours will take place at the North Central Research Extension center in Minot and the Langdon Research Extension Center to give canola growers an in-depth tour of canola research projects.

The Minot tour will be held from 9 a.m. to Noon on Monday, June 28th. Various topics will be covered including insect and disease management, straight harvesting of canola and the new canola breeding program at NDSU. A tractor pulling a trailer at the station will once again be burning canola biodiesel as part of the center's continued biodiesel research.  Free lunch will be provided.

The Langdon tour will take place on Thursday, July 8th from 9 a.m. to Noon. Disease research, breeding trials, and other agronomy updates will be provided at this tour. Free lunch will be provided.

Following the tours the NCGA will be hosting golf tournaments at the Minot and Langdon Country Clubs. You must pre-register for the golf tournaments.  Registration form available by clicking on the pdf link below.

From this week's Crop & Pest Report:

Even though some canola fields have not emerged yet, diamondback moths have arrived early from the southern states. Adult moths (Fig. 4) have been detected in pheromone traps in Manitoba, Canada, and trap counts are already quite high in the eastern region (J. Gavloski, Entomologist, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives). IPM Scouts will be getting their pheromone traps out this week in North Dakota to start monitoring.

The early migrants lay eggs on the lower leaves of canola, mustard, and rapeseed. Larvae hatch from the eggs and feed on first leaves. The small, greenish larvae (Fig. 5) make tiny, irregular holes in the leaves and actually mine inside the leaf as a leafminer for the first week (Fig. 6). Foliar feeding injury to seedlings and 2-4 leaf canola plants has caused significant stand losses in the north central region of North Dakota in past years. Larval feeding injury is worse when plants are under drought or heat stress. So, be sure to scout canola fields for diamondback moth larval feeding.

There is no economic threshold that has been developed for diamondback moth in the seedling and early vegetative stages. However, 25% defoliation or stand loss will caused economic losses in canola. Insecticide seed treatments will not control diamondback moth larva and a foliar rescue insecticide application must be made.

Diquat recently received a registration for use on canola as a harvest aid treatment.  The EPA announced the tolerance on May 26th.  This will allow canola growers to utilize this harvest aid when straight harvesting canola.  It is estimated that up to 25% of the canola crop in North Dakota is straight harvested.  A generic form of diquat is also expected to receive a supplemental label soon, giving growers several different product choices.

From this week's NDSU Crop & Pest report:

Flea beetles have been observed feeding on volunteer canola in the Fargo and Devils Lake areas in spite of the cool spring weather. Only 4% of spring canola has emerged, and 75% still needs to be planted (USDA NASS, North Dakota Field Office, released May 10,2010).   It’s too early to start scouting; however, as soon as more canola is planted and temperatures start to warm to 60-70 F, scouting will be in full swing on emerging
canola!

http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/aginfo/entomology/ndsucpr/index.htm

A new section was added to our website under the "Growers Information" tab under USDA Reports.  A new compilation of data on canola was recently added to the USDA Economic Research Service website.

A quick link to this site is :http://northerncanola.com/usda/index.asp

On Wednesday, March 31, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its annual Projected Plantings Report for the U.S. The survey revealed that U.S. farmers plan to increase their canola acres by 49 percent to 1,228,000 acres.

Acreage in the largest canola producing state, North Dakota, is expected to be 1,060,000 acres, up 45% from 730,000 acres last year. Production in other states is expected to increase to 168,000 acres.

Strong prices for canola due to extremely heavy demand from the food sector and record yields are a primary driver of the increased acreage intentions. 

The Northern Canola Growers Association met with other commodity groups in Fargo recently to discuss the Standard Reinsurance Agreement (SRA) that is negotiated every 5 years between the USDA and the crop insurance industry.  Common concerns were discussed that affect many crops in the state and a letter was developed to address these concerns.  Program integrity, audits, farmer paid premiums and crop insurance development were addressed in the letter. 

The USDA issued its October Crop Production Report today and projected canola yields for 2009 at record highs.  Production in North Dakota is expected to reach 1.36 billion pounds, up four percent from last year.  If realized, the yield will be a record high 1,900 pounds per acre, up 30 percent from last year.  The previous record high yield was 1,630 pounds set in 2004.  

Acreage for harvest is projected at 715,000 acres, down 20 percent from last year.

The canola crop in North Dakota is looking fantastic, according to many sources in the industry.  The ideal growing conditions in the state this summer have resulted in a canola crop that has the potential to exceed all prior yield records.  This makes payments under the USDA’s new ACRE program unlikely for 2009.

To determine whether a grower is eligible for an ACRE payment, two triggers must be met; 1) A state trigger and 2) An individual farm trigger.  The 5-year Olympic Average state yield for canola is 1,400 pounds.  The revenue guarantee for canola is approximately $233 per acre (OLA yield x price x .90).  For the state trigger to be met, the statewide average yield will have to be below 1,374 pounds, using the estimated 09-10 price forecast from USDA.  This appears extremely unlikely given the excellent condition of the crop.

The recent Crop & Pest Report from NDSU indicates that while blister beetles have been reported on canola in north central North Dakota (Ward and Renville counties), entomologists say adult feeding is generally not significant enough to warrant an insecticide treatment.  The "High Plains Integrated Pest Management Guide" recommends treatment when there are 10 adult blister beetles per plant feeding on the flowers or pods.  However, there is no economic threshold in North Dakota. 

Foliar insecticides registered in North Dakota will control blister beetles.  Follow safe practices when spraying flowering canola to protect honeybees.

Luis Del Rio, NDSU Extension Pathologist provides the following assessment to canola growers in northern and north east North Dakota:

July 19:

Environmental conditions have been on the dry side (absence of rain and rather low relative humidity) in most canola growing areas of the state during the past four days. These conditions are not favorable for disease development, and that is reflected in the map produced for July 19th. The risk of Sclerotinia is now low for all areas of the state.
Also, enough canola-growing degree days have accumulated since last week so that most canola fields are now ending their flowering period. Such fields do not need spraying. Growers with fields still in early stages of flowering should look for presence of apothecia and should watch the weather conditions this week.

July 16:  Heavy rains that have fallen in parts of Benson, Bottineau, Cavalier, Pennington, and Roseau counties in these past days coupled with the cooler than normal temperatures we are experiencing have elevated the risk of Sclerotinia development in canola in such areas. While the maps represent how conducive the environment is for disease development, other key factors to consider are the presence of apothecia in the fields and the growth stage at which canola plants are right now. If apothecia (Figure 1) have not been observed in fields, it is very likely that after these rains some might pop up. This means fields that are still in early flowering stages should be sprayed if they have had a history of Sclerotinia in the past.

Applying fungicides for control of Sclerotinia in fields that are past the flowering stage usually do not produce a positive economic return, so those fields should be OK, especially if they have a history of low or no Sclerotinia problems. However, please remember that additional considerations, like yield potential and commodity price should also be considered when deciding whether to spray or not.

Today the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) launched a grassroots response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS-2).  The Northern Canola Growers Association and the NBB are calling on you and all supporters of clean, renewable energy to urge the EPA to implement a workable RFS-2 program.  In December of 2007, Congress passed a law requiring that clean, renewable biodiesel be used to supplement the diesel fuel supply.  Six months after they were required by law to have a program in place, the EPA proposed draft regulations that, if adopted, would make it extraordinarily difficult for the program to succeed as intended by the law.

We need as many biodiesel supporters as possible to submit consistent comments to the EPA by September 25, 2009 – the new, extended deadline for public comments on the EPA’s proposed RFS-2 rule.  The NBB has developed two sample comment documents. One is a shorter version that simply includes the top priority comments. The second is a longer version that includes more detail and arguments to support the comments. The longer version is preferred, but the abbreviated version was created to make it faster and easier to complete the process and to ask that others complete it as well. We ask you to submit your comments right away and reach out to your friends, work colleagues, and professional networks to do the same.

Visit the RFS-2 Action Center link to access all of the information and resources you need.

Planted acres of canola are reported to be down from the March Projected Plantings Report for North Dakota.  According to the National Ag Statistics Service, North Dakota farmers planted 740,000 acres of canola in 2009, down from last year’s 915,000 acres and down 25,000 acres from the March Projected Plantings Report.  Excessively wet spring weather caused acres to go unplanted primarily in the northeast area of the state.

The USDA indicated 847,000 acres of canola were planted in the U.S., down 16% from last year.

Valent Corporation has just received federal registration for a new fungicide, Quash^™,  for use on canola to control sclerotinia.  The product helps fill the basket of tools available to canola growers.  The use rate is 2 to 4 ounces per acre applied at the 20% to 50% bloom stage.  More information on the product will be available in the next NCGA newsletter.

The Northern Canola Growers Association has added a new link for growers under the 'Canola Links' section of our website called "Ag Issues".  The link is sponsored by ADM.

The host, Neil Roberts, has nearly 10 years of agriculture experience through a local television station and his work with a series entitled “On the Farm.”

The primary guest, Kent McKay, is a household name for many farmers in this area of the state.

Farmers often seek out his expertise as an agronomist. He has more than 12 years experience working at the North Central Research Extension Center near Minot.

At a recent annual meeting of the U.S. Canola Association, two North Dakota canola growers were elected as officers.  Kevin Waslaski of Langdon was elected First Vice President and Ryan Pederson of Rolette was elected Second Vice President of the Association.  Waslaski and Pederson are also on the Board of Directors of the Northern Canola Growers Association.

Doug Scoville of Idaho was elected President, replacing Langdon canola grower Steve Kakela, who completed his term as President.  The purpose of the annual meeting was to develop research and policy priorities for the U.S. canola industry.  Members met with congressmen to identify priorities for 2009.

The North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service has recently published its estimates of canola production by county for the 2008 crop year. Cavalier county led the state in planted acreage at 200,000 acres. Average yields in the state were 1,460 pounds. Total canola production in North Dakota was 1.30 billion pounds.

The Risk Management Agency recently announced the 2009 Projected Harvest Price for RA canola at $16.00 per hundredweight.  Growers are encouraged to contact their crop insurance agents to determine the dollar amounts of coverage they can obtain based on this price. The price election for RA on canola is lower than the Multi-Peril (MPCI) price election of $19.86 announced for 2009.  Producers are reminded to sign up by March 15.

The USDA reported in its January 12 Production Report that U.S. canola yields in 2008 averaged 1,461 pounds per acre, a 19% increase from 2007.  This is down 53 pounds from the October forecast.  The yield is the third highest since records began in 1991. Planted area is estimated at 1.01 million acres, 14 percent below last year’s acreage.

For the 2008 canola crop, USDA estimated U.S. production at 1.45 billion pounds, up 14 million pounds from 2007.  In North Dakota, the largest canola producing state in the U.S. with over 90% of production, total production was 1.31 billion pounds, down less than 1 percent from last year.  Planted acres in North Dakota totaled 910,000 acres.

ADM Velva, ND is now offering a free Delayed Pricing Contract until June 30, 2009. This free DP contract will automatically be priced on June 30 2009, if not priced before then.

For further information please view the PDF below.

The USDA Risk Management Agency today posted Crop Established Price Elections for 2009 APH Policies.

The Established Price announced for canola is $19.86 per cwt.

Other crops were also listed in today's we