ASSESS SOWING OPTIONS: Rohan Brill of NSW DPI and CSIRO’s Dr John Kirkegaard are involved in the Optimised Canola Profitability project. Picture: Julianne Lilley
Sowing canola early in most southern and eastern Australian cropping regions can increase productivity and profitability by following 10 key tactical guidelines.
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The guidelines relate to location, variety selection, soil moisture management, seed placement and rates, weed, pest and disease management, soil nutrition and croptop/windrow timing.
CSIRO research scientist Dr John Kirkegaard, says the traditional canola sowing window in much of the southern and eastern growing regions has opened in late April, continuing well into late May.
TIPS FOR SOWING EARLIER:
- Consider your location – early sowing of canola before mid-April can be successful in most environments of southern and eastern Australia.
- Select a slower developing variety – early sowing amplifies phenology differences between (spring) canola varieties. Sow slower-developing varieties early.
- Manage fallows and residues – management of soil moisture in the fallow period is critical for successful canola establishment.
- Manage seed placement – consider placing seed slightly deeper (25-40 millimetres) for early sowing to account for higher evaporation rates. Reduce to 15-20 mm when dry sowing.
- Adjust seeding rates – establishment rates are usually lower when early sowing.
- Carefully manage weeds – early sowing usually occurs before annual weeds can germinate on the main autumn break.
- Select fertile paddocks – select paddocks high in nitrogen (N) capture the higher yield potential of early sown crops.
- Consider pests and insects – aphid pressure can increase with early sowing.
- Consider disease pressure – early sowing can reduce the risk of blackleg crown canker in canola as young plants often develop several leaves before the onset of spore showers in autumn.
- Assess croptop/windrow timing – early sown crops will generally branch more, particularly at lower plant densities.