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Agronomy Trials

Better Oilseeds - Canola Trials 2009

  1. Better Oilseeds trial: Effect of retained hybrid canola seed on yield and blackleg (2009)
    Trial locations:  Southeast South Australia and Eyre Peninsula, SA; southern NSW and western Victoria
    Retained hybrid seed can produce lower grain yields with higher plant mortality or internal infection with blackleg than the original hybrid.
  2. Better Oilseeds trial: Canola variety x row spacing x plant population trial (2009)
    Trial location:  Junee
    Wider row spacings reduced plant establishment for a given seeding rate. In 2009, the low plant population (28/m2) yielded best, but only 0.53 t/ha.
  3. Better Oilseeds trial: A comparison of retained and commercial hybrid and open pollinated canola seed: effect on factors affecting yield (2009)
    Trial locations:  Dunkeld, Victoria and Naracoorte, South Australia
    Do not sow retained hybrid seed. F1 hybrid seed produced more vigorous seedlings, consistent plant height and even maturity and less plant death from blackleg.

Canola Trial Results 2007/08

Canola Agronomy Trials

  1. Alternative oilseeds trial, Managatang, VIC (BCG)
    The conventional canola variety AVJade was the highest yielding.  Yields of the juncea canola cv.  Dune and the condiment mustards were disappointing, except yields of the condiment mustard variety MB11 was similar to the conventional canola cv. AVJade.
  2. Alternative oilseeds trial, Gunning Gap, NSW (CWFS)
    Juncea canola (Brassica juncea) is showing potential as an alternative to canola in the low rainfall zone. This trial report will be available shortly.
  3. Canola hay time of cutting x variety trial, Longerenong (BCG, Better Oilseeds)
    Cutting canola at late flowering was a good compromise between quality and quantity.  Cutting after late flowering reduced hay quality but had little effect on hay quantity.  The Clearfield hybrids produced higher hay and grain yield than the triazine tolerant varieties.
  4. Clearfield canola and juncea canola herbicide tolerance trial, Longerenong & Brichip, VIC (BCG)
    The Clearfield® varieties/hybrids expressed a high level of tolerance to recommended rates of the imidazolinone herbicides.
  5. Crop architecture trial, Junee, NSW (Better Oilseeds)
    Increased target plant population from 20 plants/m2 to 60 plants/m2 reduced yields (although low) in the dry season of 2007.  The actual plant population fell as the row spacing widened from 18 cm to 30 cm.
  6. Juncea canola and canola sowing rate trial, Millewa, VIC (VIC DPI)
    A sowing rate of 3-4 kg/ha gave optimal plant densities for the juncea canola cv. ‘Dune’.  Juncea canola appeared to outyield canola when sown at a rate of at least 3 kg/ha in the dry 2007 season.  Note: data not analysed.
  7. Nitrogen rate x timing trial, Longerenong & Birchip, VIC (BCG)
    There was no yield response to nitrogen at the Longerenong site.  Canola grain was not harvested at Birchip, but dry matter losses were incurred when all nitrogen application was delayed until late cabbage stage.
  8. Row spacing x variety trial, Merriwagga, NSW (NSW DPI VSAP project)
    There was no difference in yield of any canola, juncea canola or mustard varieties/hybrids between 15 cm and 60 cm row spacing in this trial, which was severely affected by drought.  Wider rows in this trial delayed flowering by at least five days in all varieties. B. juncea varieties seemed to branch out more on wider rows than the canola varieties.
  9. Row spacing x variety trial, Cowra, NSW (NSW DPI VSAP project)
    This trial report will be available shortly.
  10. Sowing rate x variety trials, Lameroo & Struan, SA (Better Oilseeds)
    Sowing rate had little effect on the yields of canola in the three trials.  The only exception was the highest sowing rates of 5 to 7.5 kg/ha, which reduced yields at the low rainfall site of Lameroo.
  11. Subsoil constraints trial, Brimpaen, VIC (VIC DPI)
    Surface applied pig bedding litter (organic matter) boosted canola yields by 7%.  Deep nutrients alone were not sufficient to increase yield, despite greater initial plant growth.  There was no effect of deep ripping on canola yield.  For this soil, salinity and the osmotic and toxic effects of sodium may be imposing the biggest constraint to root growth and water extraction.
  12. Time of sowing trial, Mallee, (VIC DPI)
    Opportunistic early sowing (from late March) of canola, juncea canola and lupins can be very worthwhile in the Mallee.  Note: data and grain quality still to be analysed.  This report will be updated when the information becomes available.

Canola Trials 2007/08