Manage Each Field for Its Own Conditions

Jul 04, 2014

Crop stage from crop to crop is highly variable, and is one of many reasons why neighbouring crops can’t be treated the same.

Canola crops side by side can have different risk factors, and often do not require the same crop management for nutrients, weeds, insects and disease. Crop rotation, fertilizer rates, plant population and stand uniformity are a few factors that can influence whether one crop needs a treatment while the other right beside may not.

Crop stage is another important factor. Cabbage seedpod weevil, for example, is attracted to the earliest flowering fields in an area. Therefore these early fields may be at control thresholds while later fields never have enough weevils to warrant a spray.

The key is to manage each crop according to its own needs. Decisions made for one field based on what is required (or not required) in the field next door may not be in the best interest of profitability — especially this year.

Source: Alberta Canola Producers Commission

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.