Results from the CCC’s Ultimate Canola Challenge (UCC) for 2014 are in. UCC launched in 2013 to test the yield increase and return on investment for 13 specialty products and practices, and experiments were repeated in 2014. Click here for more on the 2014 UCC.
Of the 13 products and practices tested in 2014, only one provided a significant response compared to the best management practices (BMP) check. It was applying nitrogen at 75% of the recommended rate. The response? Plots with that rate yielded significantly LESS than the check, which received 100% of the recommended nitrogen.
The UCC overall conclusion is that when considering a new product or practice:
—Ignore claims based only on function or content in plants. Yield, quality or other paying factors are all that matter.
—Western Canadian field trials conducted by unbiased researchers trump data from those with vested interests and sponsored testimonials.
—Spend money only on things with a good chance for response based on many trials.
Further reading:
The 2014 blog
Results for 2013