"We expect to see many first time canola growers this year. To help first time growers, the Canola Council has developed five key agronomic tips on how to grow and manage canola to ensure maximum profitability," says David Vanthuyne, Canola Council of Canada agronomist for eastern Saskatchewan.

Tip 1: Ideal time to seed Plant canola at the beginning of the seeding operation rather than the middle or end to improve the chance of maximizing yield potential. Soil temperature should be above 6 to 7º C at a depth of 2" to ensure good germination, Vanthuyne stresses. On average, canola sets two-thirds of its yield potential during the first 14 to 16 days of flowering. If the plan is to seed in the third week of May or later, moving the seeding date forward seven to 10 days will allow the crop to start flowering earlier. This reduces the risk of heat damage or "flower blast" during early flowering.

Tip 2: Ideal seedbed preparation and seeding depth Creating a good seedbed and a uniform, shallow seeding depth are a must for profitable canola. Light spring tillage may help prepare a good seedbed and control weeds. But excessive or untimely tillage will deplete valuable seedbed moisture. Therefore, minimize spring tillage if possible, and keep the depth shallow--2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2") for canola. "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. Ideal canola seed placement is 1/2 to 3/4" deep," says Vanthuyne.

Tip 3: Ideal fertility Provide the soil test lab with each field's estimated stored soil moisture to help fine tune fertility requirements. A soil moisture probe is an excellent way to estimate stored soil moisture, he says. For details on building a probe and on how to calculate target yields from stored soil moisture values, visit: http://www.canola-council.org/events/pr_19apr04.html

"Avoid placing too much fertilizer with the seed if soil moisture conditions are low," adds Vanthuyne. Seed placed nitrogen (N) above 10 lbs/ac of actual product will cause seed damage when using a narrow (3/4") opener on lighter textured soils. The common methods of achieving good seed to N separation are side banding, paired-row and mid-row systems, and pre-banding fertilizer prior to seeding. N to sulphur (S) ratios must also be maintained to ensure the plant can make maximum use of the available N. If the ratio of total available N:S is greater than 5:1, then add sufficient S to balance the ratio.

Tip 4: Ideal time to control weeds "Canola is a poor competitor with weeds during early plant development, especially if the weeds emerge first," says Vanthuyne. Research shows that controlling weeds in crop at the one- to four-leaf stage will provide the best yield and economic return. Fewer weeds tend to emerge after the crop nears canopy closure at the five- to six-leaf stage. Consider using a pre-seed burn-off treatment like glyphosate to control early emerging and hard-to-kill weeds. Canola Council Canola Production Centre trials found significantly higher yields for a pre-seed burn-off compared to no burn-off, he notes

Tip 5: Ideal time to swath Under normal conditions of 20 to 25º C, expect about 3 to 5% seed colour change per day, beginning about 10 to 14 days after flowering. As canola cures, the key component is moisture. A canola plant draws moisture out of the stems to fill seeds. Swath too early and many seeds on secondary branches will not have enough moisture to finish filling, resulting in small, immature seeds. Most seeds will either be sent out the back of the combine or end up as dockage, explains Vanthuyne "Expect at least a 2 to 4 bu/ac yield boost by swathing at 30 to 40% seed colour change compared to less than 10%. Add on as much as another 4 bu/ac by swathing at 50 to 60% seed colour change. In addition, growers have about an extra week to swath, and seed size and quality will be improved, compared to early swathing," says Vanthuyne. And waiting longer also locks in more oil-about a 1% increase in seed oil content.

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 and Southern Alberta, 403-553-2829xx