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Wind losses, intense flea beetle feeding and slow emergence – each made worse by dry conditions – have some farmers wondering about reseeding. Keeping a thin stand is often the better option, but this article will help with the decision…
Plant establishment
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1.5” may be as deep as you want to go. If moisture is at 3”, for example, that is a long way for a small canola seedling to stretch…
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Should I seed now or wait for the moisture situation to improve? What seed-placed fertilizer rate is appropriate in dry conditions? Should I seed deep enough to reach moisture?… -
Each seeding tool has a different ideal speed for consistent placement. And soil type, residue cover and moisture will mean different ideal speeds from field to field and year to year. Every field could be handled differently to find a balance between placement and speed… -
Crop scouting can begin the week after seeding to check on early emergence issues. The key with scouting at any crop stage and for any issue is to make a proper diagnosis before taking corrective action. Here are common early-season problems in canola and the set of symptoms often associated with each…
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Only about 60 percent of canola seeds survive to become plants, on average. With the following tips, canola farmers can increase seed survival and get more from their seed investment… -
While warmer soil will speed up germination and will help with seed survival, canola seeded early May generally out-yields canola seed late May. If fields are dry enough to support the seeding tool and tractor, seeding can begin no matter the soil temperature today. If seedbed conditions are good and the forecast is dry, farmers may want to take advantage… -
Farmers can count on 20-50% of the moisture from snow-melt to enter the soil. This variability depends a lot on surface soil moisture conditions. A North Dakota study (Willis and Haas) concluded that 50% of snow-melt moisture runs off or evaporates when surface soils (top 30-40 cm) are dry and up to 80% runs off when surface soils are wet… -
As you pick up canola seed, look at the thousand seed weight for each lot and run that through the seed rate calculator at canolacalculator.ca. This will indicate the seeding rate required to hit your target stand…
