Frost ID Guide for Canola and Pulses hot off the press
Canola and pulse growers have a new resource to help them to identify and assess the impact of frost damage on their crops.
The Frost Identification Guide for Canola and Pulses was produced by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), with support from Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) National Frost Initiative researchers.
The publication complements the Frost Identification Guide for Cereals, published last year.
Both publications feature high resolution photographs, and easy to read descriptions of frost damage symptoms, and plants’ potential for recovery.
Early identification of frost damage enables growers to make timely crop salvage decisions. The new guide for canola and pulses provides a useful reference to monitor and correctly identify whether a crop has been affected by frost or something else.
The close-up photographs and comprehensive descriptions of frost symptoms for canola, lupins, field peas, chickpeas, faba beans, and lentils provide good references for growers to compare and assess crop damage and severity.
The guide includes details on when to inspect crops, how to identify frost damage at the different stages of plant development, an overview of biotic and abiotic stresses that may have caused similar damage symptoms, and web links to more information.
The most susceptible time for frost damage in canola and pulse crops is during early flowering to late pod growth, through to early seed fill. Frost can affect plant buds, flowers, pods, seeds, and stems, which can all be present on the one plant at the same time.
Canola and pulse growers are advised to carefully inspect crops they presumed had experienced frost damage, as these crops are susceptible for an extended period.
Canola and pulses have an extended period of flowering and podding, which means crops can be exposed to damage for longer, however, this characteristic also provides crops with an opportunity to recover from frost. The developing seed of these crops is also susceptible to frost, although not all seed within a pod nor all pods or plants may be frosted.
It is important for growers to monitor crops for a week or two after a frost event, and to open up a lot of pods to determine the extent of damage, and assess whether the crop is recovering.
The Frost Identification Guide for Canola and Pulses and the Frost Identification Guide for Cereals can be downloaded cost free from the department’s or GRDC’s websites, where there are more frost management tools and information. Hard copies are also available from department offices.