Canola Council of Canada

"If you do one thing well this season, make certain it's achieving a uniform, vigorous crop establishment. It is one of the keys to maximizing canola returns," says Doug Moisey, Canola Council of Canada agronomist for central Alberta.

Many factors contribute to good canola stands, including seed quality, seeding date and rate, and seeding depth.

Moisey encourages growers to keep a 2 kg (4.4 lb) sample of each seed lot to isolate the cause of seed quality related problems that might develop. Store each sample in an airtight container in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight and along with the blue certified seed tags. When seeding multiple seed lots of a variety, seed them separately.

He says the optimum seeding date for ideal crop establishment can vary for every grower. But here are several considerations to aid growers in establishing the right date:
* the earliest date that the field can support tractor traffic;
* date of last lethal spring frost;
* precipitation amounts and timing prior to seeding;
* tillage methods;
* variety maturity; and
* farm and equipment size.

He adds that temperature patterns, especially heat stress during flowering and pod filling, and timing of disease, weed or insect outbreaks can also play a role in picking a seeding date.

Canola seedling mortality is higher than for cereals. Germinated seeds that fail to emerge have been mechanically stopped by soil crusts or killed by disease. In most areas, under very good conditions about 60 to 80% of the seed will produce viable plants and under average conditions 40 to 60%.

"While there is no ideal seeding rate, in western Canada good stand establishment will be achieved by seeding canola at 5.6 to 9 kg/ha (5 to 8 lb/ac), which is a plant population of about 80 to 180 plants/m2 (8 to18 plants/ft2)," says Moisey.

Use higher seeding rates if:
* weed pressure is heavy;
* soils are prone to crusting;
* soil borne disease incidence is high;
* germination is low;
* seeding into cold soils;
* using equipment with uneven seeding depth control; and
* excessive fertilizer is applied with the seed.

Moisey advises growers to look or ask for the thousand-kernel weight (kwt) for each seed lot and use it to fine-tune seeding rates. For example, assuming a 40% survivability (due to tough spring conditions), a variety with a 4-gram kwt would be seeded at 1.1 kg/ha (6 lb/ac) to meet a minimum of 60 plants/m2 (6 plants/ft2). A variety with a 3-g kwt would be seeded at 0.92 kg/ha (5 lb/ac) to achieve the same stand. A seeding rate calculator is available at the Alberta government website at: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/app21/rtw/index.jsp

Proper seeding depth is must for canola. "Seed canola shallow--to 1.27 to 2.54 cm (1/2 to 1"). Canola is not like cereals--you can't seed to moisture if the top 5 to 7.6 cm (2 to 3") of soil has dried out," says Moisey.

Good crop establishment will help growers maximize profitability this year, stresses Moisey.

For more information in your area, contact:
- John Mayko, Agronomic Research & Extension Manager, 780-764-2593
- Derwyn Hammond, Manitoba, 204-729-9011
- Jim Bessel, North Central & North Eastern Saskatchewan, 306-373-6771
- David Vanthuyne, Eastern Saskatchewan, 306-782-7799
- David Blais - Western Saskatchewan, 306-895-2122
- Christine Mardell, Peace, 780-402-3066
- Doug Moisey, Central Alberta, 780-645-3624
- Nancy Muchka-Dahl, Southern Alberta, 403-625-1596