Canola in Rotations

  Canola best follows cereal grains or fallow in rotation. A preferred crop rotation would have canola planted at least two, preferably three, cropping years between plantings. However, if planting canola  after one or two cropping years, it is strongly recommended to grow a variety that is  resistant to blackleg. Canola is susceptible to sclerotinia stem rot. Infection risk increases if canola is planted close in rotation with other susceptible crops like sunflower, dry edible beans, mustard or crambe. At least two years should separate canola and sugarbeet plantings. If planting canola within three years of susceptible crops, a fungicide application may be needed. Less susceptible crops that could be planted successfully in a close rotation with canola are rowed soybeans, flax, semi-leafless field pea or lentil. However, in years when ideal environmental conditions favor air-borne spore movement, all canola plantings without fungicide applied, regardless of rotation intervals, may have economic losses due to sclerotinia. 

One should also check with your insurance agent and the Risk Management Agency-USDA   for certain guidelines and policy on canola planting intervals and multi-peril crop coverage

Canola is certain to shatter seeds, and volunteer plants are a probability the next season. Cereals should follow canola to allow the use of certain broadleaf phenoxy herbicides for control. Production of canola and tame mustard on the same farm should be avoided. Admixtures of the two crops reduces the market value of both. In addition, conventional canola should not be planted on fields with heavy infestations of wild mustard. Roundup Ready, Liberty Resistant and Clearfield canola all could be planted on heavy infested wild mustard fields.

The persistence of herbicide residue remaining from application to prior growing crops and weeds can injure new canola seedings. These include but are not limited to sulfonylurea, imidazolinone and triazine classes of herbicides. Always refer to the herbicide label information pertaining to crop rotation restrictions following their use. North Dakota Weed Control Guide, Circular W-253, includes information on rotation restrictions for certain crops, including canola following herbicide applications.