| Synbrid 220 was
the highest yielding in the MCVET trials |
Winnipeg, Manitoba
August 18, 1998
SYNBRID 220 was the highest yielding of all canolas in the MCVET trials conducted for the
Manitoba Seed Guide last year. It also finished with 118% of checks in last year's
Saskatchewan Seed Guide and finished first place in a number of Canola Council sites in
Alberta.
This Argentine variety is moderately resistant to blackleg and is suited for the long and
mid-season zones. Due to the way it was bred, it has a larger than normal seed size.
Although it is not a true hybrid, it shows some of the features of hybrid vigour. This
year, SYNBRID 220 is being followed on several hundred large fields, so that we can track
how it does in a wide range
of weather and soil conditions. This is the first progress report on our SYNBRID 220
fields.
Observation #1: Emergence
We're seeing faster emergence with SYNBRID 220 than with the open-pollinated varieties
like Jewel, Quantum and 46A65 (see Graph #1). The SYNBRID 220 seedlings were about 60%
bigger than the open pollinated varieties by June 1 in spite of a cold late May. At this
point, the seedlings were in the 6-8 leaf stage. (SYNBRID 220 is not a conventional
open-pollinated canola; it is a synthetic hybrid. The variety was bred to possess the
vigour that would normally be seen in
a hybrid canola. That means faster emergence.)
Observation #2: Response to Fertility
High nitrogen levels (80-100 lbs.) put the crop way ahead of sub-60 lbs./acre fertility
(see Graph #2). We're seeing much quicker early growth in our high N fields. There's a
bigger response to nitrogen that we're used to seeing with other canolas that we have
developed ourselves.
We also saw this in 1997. Last year the variety seemed to be better suited for fields
where the grower used high levels of N. The variety probably doesn't belong on fields
where low to mid levels of inputs are going to be used.
Observation #3: Frost Response
Side-by-side fields are consistently showing that SYNBRID 220 seems to be weathering the
frost a lot better. The early emergence, some early hardening-off and maybe some
relatively healthy leaf area are keeping the variety "greener" than most other
varieties in some frost conditions. (We're also seeing this with the Zeneca Seeds' hybrid
HYOLA 401 as well ... another early/rapid emerger. This isn't to say that SYNBRID 220 is
"frost-proof", we just wanted to pass this
observation along because it was so striking.)
We'll continue to monitor our SYNBRID 220 fields over the summer. If you'd like to do a
quick drive by or walk a field, talk to a neighbour who is growing it, or ask your Cargill
Seed retailer for the nearest SYNBRID 220 field.
SYNBRID 220 ON JUNE 1:
SYNBRID 220 emerged faster than conventional open-pollinated varieties.
CONVENTIONAL CANOLA
1.0 G FRESH WT/SDLG
SYNBRID 220
1.6 G FRESH WT/SDLG
SYNBRID 220 responded well to nitrogen.
SYNBRID 220 LOW N
1.9 G FRESH WT/SDLG
SYNBRID 220 HIGH N
2.8 G FRESH WT/SDLG
SYNBRID 220 had better vigour / early growth than the open-pollinated varieties (Synbrid
220 on the left, 46A65 on the right).
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