Target 5 to 8 plants per square foot

The canola plant population target of five to eight plants per square foot is a safe target to balance yield potential and economics. This range is based on meta-analysis of hybrid canola studies from Western Canada, which showed that canola crops need a minimum of three to four plants per square foot to maintain yield potential. Canola Council of Canada (CCC) research found that stands of five to six plants per square foot yielded about five bushels per acre more than stands that averaged two to three plants per square foot.

The meta analysis conclusion was that canola farmers seeking to maximize returns should target populations greater than five plants per square foot. Plant populations lower than this will almost always have yield loss.

Use the target plant density and seeding rate calculators to set an appropriate seeding rate to hit the target.

More…

• Plant establishment chapter of the Canola Encyclopedia (which includes the Canola Counts survey)
• Canola Research Hub, with plant establishment study summaries