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Seed canola to target profitable plant populations (April 28, 2006)
April 25, 2006: How low can you go with canola seeding rates this spring and still potentially get good yields? Canola Council agronomist Doug Moisey says growers should do whatever they can to hit the 7 to 14 plants per square foot target. Below that, he says contribution margins can drop significantly.
Moisey says every canola producer knows "it’s not just seed in – canola plant out. You can’t just set a standard seeding rate and know for sure you’ll hit your target plant populations."
For instance, Moisey says seed size, germination percentage and the amount of chlorophyll present in the seed will all affect seed and seedling vigour and/or survival. So will soil temperature, amount of seed-placed fertilizer, soil moisture, planting depth, soil types and even the type of machinery used, not to mention seeding speed, disease pressure, straw management and insect pests!
He says growers should focus on the inputs they can control – such as seeding speed, seeding depth, and soil temperatures at seeding. He recommends taking a look at a new Council factsheet called “Estimated Canola Plant Populations Under Various Seeding Conditions”.
Moisey says the tables showing the impact of seeding rates, thousand seed weight and % survival on canola plant populations are a handy tool when calibrating seed drills. Check www.canola-council.org/growing_publications.html.
He also stresses that managing the seed lot to match the soil temperatures and the field conditions is important. "For example", he says, "a small seed won’t do as well as a large seed at deeper seeding depths or if soils are cold for a prolonged period, because it lacks sufficient energy and nutrient reserves."
The Council agronomist suggests this formula can help determine the required seeding rate to achieve a target plant population:
Seeding Rate (lbs/ac) = (9.6 x # plants/ft2 desired x Thousand Seed Weight in grams) ÷ estimated % survival (expressed as a whole #)
For example: If the TSW of the seed lot is 3.5 grams, the desired plant population is 10 plants/ft2, and a grower estimates that 50% of the seed will survive to produce plants then their seeding rate should be: (9.6 * 10 plants/ft2*3.5) /50 = 6.7 lbs/ac
Moisey says keeping track of the results can help for next year. He urges growers to record seeding rates, thousand seed weight and plant populations 21 days after emergence.
"These numbers are necessary for revealing percent survival, which can be used as a benchmark for making changes to spring farming practices," Moisey adds. He suggests that tracking mortality under various field situations will help growers do a better job of estimating percent survival of their canola seed in the future, which is essential for successfully targeting optimum plant densities.
For details on tips to hit targeted plant populations this spring, check out http://www.canola-council.org/growing_publications.html.
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
Jackie Heck, Peace, 780-853-5261
Doug Moisey, Central Alberta, 780-645-3624
Matthew Stanford, Southern Alberta, 403-758-6660
This media release is part of the Canola Canola Advantage program.
The program is supported regionally by:
Alberta Canola Producers Commission;
Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission;
Manitoba Canola Growers Association;
Canola Council of Canada;
Peace River Agriculture Development Fund; and
B.C. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries
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