Take a soil temperature test before seeding / Record-keeping best tool to fight herbicide carryover / Make sure tank mixes are happy together / Tips for safe seed-placed fertilizer
Topics for April 7, 2021
Replace those worn openers / Why wait to seed canola? / Pre-seed banding leaves dry seed bed / Spray weeds two weeks before seeding. Really?!
Seeding canola in dry conditions
When seeding into dry soil conditions from March until mid-May, the recommendation to seed canola no deeper than 1” still applies.
Rotations and risk management
Scientific research in Western Canada shows lower yields for canola in short rotations. Blackleg (shown above), clubroot and many other factors can cause this yield loss.
2020 CPT small plot data report is available
The small plot data report for Canola Performance Trials 2020 is available at canolaperformancetrials.ca for viewing and downloading.
Seed decisions: Priorities and tools
The decision often starts with the herbicide-tolerance system, then moves on to disease resistance, maturity and harvest traits. With a short list based on these needs, the compare hybrids based on yield potential for the area.
Choose the right cultivar for each field
The Canola Council of Canada agronomy team encourages canola growers to choose hybrids based on the opportunities and challenges in each particular field. This approach is seen as one way to improve productivity and profitability of the crop. Here are some scenarios describing how a farm might benefit from adopting this strategy….
A good reason to count stems at harvest
Average stem counts for each canola field harvested this year can put yield, quality and harvest date results in perspective and help with seeding rate decisions in 2021.
Seed tip: Compare variety performance over multiple years
You can get a good sense of the consistency of a cultivar by looking at performance over various locations and years. The Canola Performance Trials website includes many years of data, so you can check height, lodging, maturity or yield averages over the past three to five (or even more) years.
Cut height and residue spread can improve stand establishment
Give your future seedbed a good start by managing residue this fall. The combine is a key part of this process.