Canola school at realagriculture.com

Here are a few of Stanford's tips:

1. Take lids off the drill manifolds and check for build up of fertilizer and seed treatment. This can cause hoses to be obstructed.

2. Check openers for wear. Double shoot openers, for example, that are heavily worn may not give you the seed and fertilizer separation that is so important for canola.

3. Check hoses and rubber seals on the drill and tank for air leaks. Loss of air pressure can affect distribution of seed and fertilizer.

4. Level your drill, whether its old or brand new. Find a flat spot, ideally a concrete pad in front of the shop, and park your drill on top of it. Lift the openers off the ground and check that they're all at the same height. You need to level side to side and back to front. If you see rows side by side in a field that are not emerging at the same rate, often it's because openers at the back of the drill are planting deeper than openers at the front.

5. Make sure all drill tires are at the same pressure. This can also affect seeding depth.

6. Use a metering roll designed for canola.