The sticker is in the mail

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

There is another good reason for Saskatchewan producers to keep an eye out for a letter from their grain company. It may not be as exciting as a grain cheque, but the “Canola Ready” sticker arriving in the mail could save them a lot of money.

At issue is the insecticide malathion.

Chris Anderson, the Canola Council of Canada’s program manager for crop production, says storage bins treated with malathion can’t be used to store canola for six to 12 months after its application.

“Malathion is most often used for insect control in cereal crops, but it’s not allowed for use in canola. Sometimes farmers treat their bins thinking they will be storing cereals later in the year – but then they store canola, or can’t remember which bin was treated and which bin was not,” Anderson said.

“The sticker we created is a helpful reminder. When they have set aside a bin for canola, they can put the sticker on it so that they can easily identify or remember which one they intended to use for the oilseed.”

The stickers are timely, since it’s the time of year when many producers begin getting the bins ready for the coming harvest. This year has also seen a record number of acres seeded to canola, meaning that there may be some first-time growers of the crop who might not be aware of the strict rules regarding malathion.

A simple oversight can be costly.

Anderson says that malathion residue detected in canola exported out of Canada could cost the industry, including farmers, millions of dollars in lost business.

“Every country sets limits on pesticide residues, and exceeding those limits will result in rejected shipments and increased testing requirements,” he stated. “For example, Japan enforces strict food safety laws that prohibit the entry of any commodity exhibiting pesticide residues above the allowable limit.”

Anderson says most stored canola doesn’t need an insecticide treatment anyway, because insects will not feed on sound, healthy canola seed. “However,” he noted, “if canola is in poor condition, moisture-loving fungus feeders such as foreign grain beetles, psocids and mites will invade.

“The presence of these insects means it is time to condition your canola through aeration or drying; it does not mean it’s time to apply an insecticide such as malathion.”

Anderson says that growers are better off focusing on preventative measures. He says canola that is reasonably free of chaff, other seeds and foreign material should be stored in clean bins and kept below 15 degrees Celsius and eight per cent moisture to keep it free of insects.

For more information, contact:

Chris Anderson, Crop Production Manager
Canola Council of Canada
Phone: (204) 982-2108
Website: www.canola-council.org