THE CANOLA COUNCIL OF CANADA SAYS FARMERS WHO PLANT LATE CAN TAKE FIVE STEPS TO SPEED MATURITY.
Shallow seeding
•Seeding canola at a depth of half an inch with good soil-to-seed contact can improve overall maturity by three to four days, compared to seed placed at an inch or more.
Increase seeding rate
•A higher seeding rate results in a denser stand, which reduces time-consuming plant branching and reduces pest related yield losses.
Reduce nitrogen rates
•Reducing nitrogen rates at seeding keep the plant’s vegetative period lower. More nitrogen can be applied after the crop is developing.
Phosphate
•Placing phosphate with the seed gains a day or two of production time because of the pop-up effect with the plants.
Switch to an earlier maturing variety
•An earlier napus might be a week ahead of a later one and a rapa variety could give a two week advantage. However, keep in mind the rapa won’t have the yield or herbicide advantages.
•For more information, visit www.canolawatch.org/2011/05/26/when-is-too-late-to-seed-canola-2/.
Source: Saskatoon newsroom
