Seeding tips for canola

Shaun Haney has posted his second "canola school" video on his website, www.realagriculture. com. He interviews Canola Council of Canada agronomist Matt Stanford on the topic of field prep for canola. Here is a quick summary of Matt's points. Watch the whole video (10 minutes or so) for the full deal.

1. Know the herbicide history

Some residual group-2 herbicides applied the previous year may still be present at levels high enough to set back a canola crop. If you used a group-2 product on that field the previous year, check it's follow-crop restrictions. Stanford also says that if you applied MCPA or 2,4-D in a glyphosate mix last fall, to break down to a safe level for canola these products need a week of warm weather per ounce of active applied per acre.

2. Take soil tests

Stanford recommends tests of zero to six inches, six to 12 inches and 12 to 24 inches so you know the nutrients present. That way you can match total available nutrients to crop needs and set your fertilizer rate accordingly.

3. Firm your seedbed

With tilled fields, soil can be "fluffy." This makes depth control more difficult, Stanford says. If you're seeding canola into cultivated fields, he recommends going over the field with a harrow packer to firm the seedbed so you can control seeding depth.

4. Seed into 5°C soils

Early seeding has shown to improve yields for canola and many other crops, Stanford says, but with canola there are limits on how early is OK. He recommends you wait until the average daily soil temperature at seeding depth is 5°C. "If soils are cooler than that, I'd recommend you seed your wheat, barley or peas first," he says.

5. Pick a speed that provides consistent seeding depth

There is no ideal speed, Stanford says. Pick whatever speed you need, based on your soil conditions, seeding tool, and field prep, to get a majority of seeds in the half inch to one inch depth zone, he says. As a general guideline, he says the wider your opener, the slower you'll have to go.

6. Aim for 7 to 14 plants per square foot

This gets the ground covered and gives you some room for plant losses while still maintaining yield potential. On average across Western Canada, about half the seeds that go in the ground do not become viable plants. You'll want to pick a seeding rate that takes into account your estimated seedling mortality rate and your seed size to give you a plant stand in this target range.

7. Check your emergence rate

After emergence, scout your fields to make sure you don't have any issues. Count the plants per square foot, know your emergence rates, then tweak your system for next year to improve your results.