The 2019 Canola Performance Trials (CPT) complete small plot data report is now available on the CPT website for viewing and downloading. (Direct link to the PDF report.) This report features yield, days to maturity, height and lodging scores for each variety by location, by season zones (short, mid and long) as well as across all season zones. Results in this report are based on 19 standard and 12 straight-cut small plot trials across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
As in previous years, there will be a field scale dataset, but it is not finalized yet. Once complete, an updated version of this report will be posted on the CPT website and the complete 2019 dataset will be added into the searchable database on the CPT website.
The 2019 program acknowledges the funding from Alberta Canola Producers Commission (Alberta Canola), Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission (SaskCanola) and the Manitoba Canola Growers Association, with contributions from the B.C. Grain Producers Association. The 2019 trials were again coordinated by Haplotech with the direction from the CPT Governance and Technical Committees. The Canola Council of Canada supported on the delivery of the program.
Tips for selecting varieties: Review scouting records, and use genetic solutions (and other management changes) to reduce risk. For example, if clubroot is in the community, then clubroot resistance (CR) and rotation of CR sources will be the top seed priority. If harvest loss is the biggest issue, then maturity and harvestability traits are the priorities. Look beyond yield. In fact, choose the other agronomic traits you need — blackleg resistance, clubroot resistance, pod-shatter tolerance, earlier maturity, lodging, etc. – and make a short list of varieties that provide those traits. Then pick from among that list based on yield potential, price and availability. Keep in mind that different varieties or seed from different companies don’t necessarily mean different resistance sources when it comes to diseases like clubroot and blackleg.