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Canola

Canola in the swath

CANOLA PRODUCTION GUIDE

The  “Canola Production Field Guide,” a spiral-bound pocket-sized publication is also available in publication A1280  on the web with a link to a pdf. The guide has information about hybrid selection, understanding the growth and development of canola plants, planting canola in crop rotations, field selection and preparation, planting date guidelines, seeding rates, frost tolerance and damage, soil fertility requirements, weed control, insect pest and disease management, swathing and harvest management, and drying and storage. 

CANOLA STRAIGHT COMBINING OR SWATHING

Canola can be swathed and then combined or straight combined. Straight combining has become more common and is an option for certain types of canola when specific conditions exist. Straight combining can save time and money, and result in improved seed quality. 

Heavier canola stands that are slightly lodged are better suited for straight combining than thinner stands because of the decreased likelihood of shattering from wind. Straight combining of canola has resulted in yield losses of 8 to 54 percent, as reported by the Canola Production Center in Canada. These losses primarily were from preharvest shattering and gathering shattering losses when canola was taken into the combine.

Swathing early can be beneficial if a hard fall frost is expected. Frost fixes the chlorophyll or green color in immature seed, making it difficult to remove during processing. Early fall frosts rarely freeze to ground level. In the swathed much of the seed will benefit from the insulating properties of the swath and residual soil heat, preventing or reducing frost-fixed chlorophyll.

For more information see: Publication "Swathing and Harvesting Canola." 

STRATEGIES TO OPTIMIZE CANOLA YIELDS

 Below are some key management suggestions for getting high canola yields:

  • Select a variety/hybrid that has a proven high yield potential in university and company trials. Obtain data from trials from several locations in your respective growing region. Results from the NDSU canola variety trials can be found on the NDSU Variety Trial website and publication A1124, which is available at county extension offices in N.D.
  • Field selection is important to obtain high yields. Canola does well following small-grains. With canola in a crop rotation there should at least be two cropping years with other crops before canola is seeded again. Avoid crops such as sunflower, dry bean and other sclerotinia (white mold) sensitive crops in close rotation with canola. Select fields that are free of troublesome weed problems.
  • Plant seed with a high germination percentage and with good seedling vigor and resistance to Blackleg and Clubroot. Planting seed treated with both an insecticide and fungicides for seedling protection is recommended.
  • Canola is a cool season crop and can be seeded mid April through early May. Research has shown that yield potential may be reduced with delayed planting. This is mostly a result of the increased potential of high temperatures during flowering when the crop is seeded late. Hot conditions during flowering shorten the time the flower is receptive to pollen, as well as the duration of pollen release and pollen viability. This can decrease the number of pods that develop on the plant and the number of seeds per pod, resulting in lower yields.
  • Canola should be planted into a firm seedbed and seeded at a uniform depth. Recommended seeding depths are ¾ to 1 inch. With good seeding equipment a seeding rate of around 10 live seeds per square foot should result in a established plant stand of about 8 plants per square foot, which would be adequate for high yields. Varieties and hybrids differ in the number of seeds per pound.
  • Canola responds well to applied fertilizer. Nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur are the key nutrients for high yields. Always have a soil test done to help in knowing how much to fertilizer to apply for high yield goals. For detailed information see publication SF1122
  • Control weeds as early as possible since a lot of competition early during the growing season can reduce yields very quickly. Herbicide tolerant canola hybrids usually show little or no herbicide crop injury if the herbicide is applied according to the label. Monitor for any late emerging weed flushes that were missed during first application. 
  • Monitor for any flea beetle pressure and other pest problems especially the first three weeks after emergence during the early development stages of canola. Be prepared to apply an insecticide if the seed treatment does not hold long enough or the insect pressure is too great.
  • As canola gets near the bud stage or early bloom, start monitoring the NDSU forcasting model for Sclerotinia stem rot (white mold) potential. Be prepared to get a fungicide applied to the crop should the sclerotinia risk be high. 
  • Swath or direct harvest the canola at the optimum time to insure maximum yield and quality. If the canola is allowed to get too ripe, shattering can be a problem and reduced yield will result. 
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