Canola Southern Region December 2015 planning/paddock preparation • pre-planting • planting • plant growth and physiology • nutrition and fertiliser • weed control • insect control • nematode control • diseases • crop desiccation and spray out • harvest • storage • environmental issues • marketing • current research Start here for answers to your immediate canola crop management issues What variety should I grow? What’s the latest thinking on optimum sowing rate? How do I approach canola nutrition? What approach should I take to weed control in my canola crop? What pre-emergent herbicide control options do I have? How do I control aphids in canola? Should I choose windrowing or direct heading? Know more. Grow more. Key Management Issues for Canola in the Southern Region S Sulfur nutrition for canola is very important. Canola has a higher S requirement than Use N other crops. similar rates NO TILL Ensure heavy stubble of nitrogen Use no-tillage as it does not on canola as stores more cover the you would for soil moisture plant line as it high protein than conventional will impede canola wheat in the fallows establishment same soil 10 Where conditions allow, aim to drill seed through 20 the main seed box to 30 1.5–3 CM deep and Grow several varieties to spread harvest timing and the 40 UP TO 5 CM in self-mulching clays risk of unfavourable events e.g. moisture stress and frost 50 Consider HERBICIDE e.g. triazine tolerant TOLERANT (TT) RoundupReady® or Clearfield® where Canola is best VARIETIES weeds are a problem followed with a WINTER CEREAL, as disease levels (e.g. crown rot) should be APHID reduced and AM* SOWMidlate maturing Recent seasons have S (Arbuscular spring varieties seen high levels of Mycorrhiza, previously 10 APRIL aphids in spring, known as VAM) is not TO 25 APRIL monitor aphid levels a high requirement in autumn and spring with these crops Short season varieties to reduce the impact 20 APRIL of virus transmission TO 30 APRIL and crop stress from If choosing to windrow prior to harvest Long season feeding. winter varieties this should start when of seeds have EARLIEST SOWING changed colour to OPPORTUNITY red, brown or black. (e.g. FebMar) 50-60% ESTABLISHMENT FLOWERING PODDING WINDROWING Windrowed crops should The moisture Target density Monitor crops for insect pests during the be ready to harvest content of the critical times. Take account of grain should be BENEFICIAL INSECT NUMBERS 5-14 DAYS 20-35 after windrowing plants per square metre when making decisions on control options depending on the weather. 8% or less. © 2015 Grains Research and Development Corporation. All rights reserved. Disclaimer: This Canola GrowNote has been prepared in good faith on the basis of information available at the date of publication without any independent verification. The Grains Research and Development Corporation does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, reliability, completeness of currency of the information in this publication nor its usefulness in achieving any purpose. Readers are responsible for assessing the relevance and accuracy of the content of this publication. 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Table of Contents CANOLA - Contents Feedback December 2015 Contents A Introduction A.1 Crop overview ............................................................................................... xiv 1 Planning/Paddock preparation 1.1 Paddock selection ...........................................................................................1 1.1.1 Soil types ..............................................................................................2 Hardpans ................................................................................................................... 2 Crusting soils ............................................................................................................. 2 Acid soils ................................................................................................................... 2 Waterlogging ............................................................................................................. 3 1.2 Rotations and paddock history ........................................................................3 1.3 Fallow weed control .........................................................................................4 1.4 Fallow chemical plant-back periods ................................................................5 1.5 Seedbed requirements .....................................................................................5 1.6 Soil moisture ....................................................................................................6 1.6.1 Moisture stress during rosette formation and elongation .....................7 1.7 Yield and targets ..............................................................................................7 1.7.1 Seasonal outlook ...................................................................................7 1.7.2 Fallow moisture ......................................................................................7 1.7.3 Nitrogen- and water-use efficiency ........................................................8 1.7.4 Estimating maximum yield per unit water use by location and nitrogen 9 Step 1 ......................................................................................................................... 9 Step 2 ......................................................................................................................... 9 Step 3 ......................................................................................................................... 9 1.8 Potential disease problems ...........................................................................10 1.9 Nematode status of paddock ........................................................................11 2 Pre-planting 2.1 Varietal performance and ratings yield.............................................................1 2.1.1 Varieties for Victoria ...............................................................................2 2.1.2 Varieties for South Australia ...................................................................4 2.1.3 Oil ...........................................................................................................5 2.1.4 Seed meal .............................................................................................5 2.2 Varieties ...........................................................................................................6 2.2.1 Conventional varieties ...........................................................................6 2.2.2 Triazine-tolerant varieties ......................................................................6 2.2.3 Clearfield® (imidazolinone-tolerant) varieties ........................................7 2.2.4 Roundup Ready® varieties ....................................................................9 2.2.5 Roundup Ready®–triazine-tolerant varieties .......................................10 2.2.6 Juncea canola (Brassica juncea) .........................................................10 2.3 Planting seed quality ......................................................................................10 2.3.1 Seed size ..............................................................................................10 2.3.2 Canola establishment .........................................................................12 Know more. Grow more. v Table of Contents CANOLA - Contents Feedback December 2015 2.3.3 Seed germination and vigour ...............................................................12 Harvest timing ......................................................................................................... 13 Seed chlorophyll ..................................................................................................... 13 Seed handling ......................................................................................................... 13 2.3.4 Seed storage ........................................................................................13 2.3.5 Safe rates of fertiliser sown with the seed ...........................................14 3 Planting 3.1 Seed treatments ...............................................................................................1 3.1.1 Insecticide treatments ............................................................................1 3.1.2 Fungicide treatments .............................................................................1 3.2 Seed placement ...............................................................................................1 3.3 Time of sowing ................................................................................................2 3.3.1 Retained seed ........................................................................................3 3.3.2 Canola growth and development—impact of time of sowing (TOS) and seasonal conditions ...........................................................................................3