POD canola variety
database is live
The Canola
Council of Canada has introduced a new tool that gives
growers the ability to make better decisions when choosing
canola varieties, says JoAnne Buth, Vice President Crop
Production for the Council.
She adds the new on-line tool
is a “one-stop” source of information that features access
to the latest information on Canadian canola varieties with
the click of a mouse.
The new database, called the
Canola POD (Performance On-Line Database), resides on the
Council’s web site. It will include the variety performance
information from the Prairie Canola Variety Trials (PCVT),
public trials and other sources.
“POD gathers together existing
information and puts it in one easy-to-reference spot,” says
Buth.
“Growers need to carefully
consider all possible data over various test sites to make
the best decisions when choosing varieties. POD gives
growers the ability to better pick varieties best suited for
their area or farm,” she says.
A grower will be able to
search for a specific herbicide tolerance package, a hybrid
or conventional variety, Argentine or Polish types, or just
look at a specific variety. Once a variety is selected, the
grower will see information on its disease resistance,
maturity and summary information on yield by maturity zone.
Growers have the opportunity
to bring the information closer to home by entering a postal
code and receiving the data available in that area on a
variety. A list of trials conducted in that region will be
offered, including the organization that conducted the
trial, when, where, and the yield results.
“Performance testing varies in
the size of plots, herbicides used, and other relevant
inputs. When using POD, we encourage growers to look at the
plot notes to learn more about how the trials were
conducted,” says Buth.
The data for that year can
then be pulled into a comparative chart which will allow the
grower to review results from a range of sites in the area
and over a number of varieties. If there are questions about
a specific site, the grower can click on that site’s data to
get the information on a particular test plot.
“Whether it’s local results,
overall standing, the way a test site is run, or other
variables, POD offers the ability to weigh the information
that’s out there,” says Buth.
At present the database
contains the 2003 PCVT data. Other data will be added
continuously as it becomes available, she says.
POD was developed by Issues
Ink and is funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (CARD
initiative), the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission,
the Alberta Canola Growers Association, the B.C. Canola
Growers, and with support from canola seed companies. Once
operational, advertising will support the initiative.
To access
POD, go to:
http://www.canola-council.org/pod/