Ultimate Canola Challenge – Saskatchewan

August 28 update
August 10 update
August 2 update
July 26 update
June 27 update
June 13 update
June 11 update
May 15 update

CCC agronomy specialists have a new project for 2013 — the Ultimate Canola Challenge (UCC). The underlying challenge is to follow all best management practices (BMPs) to see how canola yields when you “do everything right.”

Saskatchewan has two sites, Indian Head and Scott. Each site will have a ‘check’ with BMPs determined by CCC agronomists along with extension and AAFC specialists.  Along with the check, additional treatments — such as boron — will be evaluated to see if they provide an improvement in yield, quality, maturity and return on investment. If UCC results uncover something extra or new that seems to work, it could lead to future research projects.

August 28 update

Scott

Check treatment.
Check treatment.

Treatment with 125% of recommended nitrogen.
Treatment with 125% of recommended nitrogen.

The Scott site has been swathed for about a week, as of August 28. Visually, maturity and biomass show no apparent differences among treatments. The photos above show the check and 125% nitrogen treatments. Other treatments, including boron and other specialized applications, look similar. Plots will likely be harvested by September 3.

August 10 update

Indian Head/Edgeley

August 10, the high nitrogen plot appears to be a couple days later.
August 10, the high nitrogen plot appears to be a couple days later.

August 2 update

Indian Head/Edgeley

High nitrogen plots are showing some differences in terms of root growth and canopy, but differences are not as evident when looking at pods from the top. The high nitrogen plots also appear to be a couple days later maturing.

High nitrogen roots on left. Recommended rates of nitrogen on the right.
High nitrogen roots on left. Recommended rates of nitrogen on the right.

High nitrogen canopy.
High nitrogen canopy.

Canopy for plot with recommended nitrogen.
Canopy for plot with recommended nitrogen.

Differences from the top are not as obvious.
Differences from the top are not as obvious.

Franck Groeneweg on the right is the Edgeley grower managing the plots. The two other men are agriculture exchange students from France.
Franck Groeneweg on the right is the Edgeley grower managing the plots. The two other men are agriculture exchange students from France.

July 26 update

Scott UCC site on July 26
Scott UCC site on July 26

Here is a picture of the canola plots at Scott. Canola has just finished flowering and is in the early pod development stage. No treatment differences are visible at this point.

June 27 update

Scott

Scott UCC site, June 27
Scott UCC site, June 27

Technician Larry Sproule top-dresses 28-0-0.
Technician Larry Sproule top-dresses 28-0-0.

Insect damage at the Scott site has been very minimal and no diamondback moths have been found in the trap on site.

C3 Stress relief treatment was applied after herbicide, June 17th. Liquid nitrogen fertilizer treatment was also applied June 17th. The second photo shows technician Larry Sproule dribble-banding liquid nitrogen (28-0-0). (The photo is actually of another trial but it shows the applicator used.)

According to environment Canada, Scott has received a total of 113.5mm of rainfall in the month of June.

Indian Head

Indian Head June 27
Indian Head June 27

All plots look visually similar at this point of the season. The weigh wagon will tell the story.

June 13 update

L130 as of June 12 at the Scott UCC site.
L130 as of June 12 at the Scott UCC site.

 

Scott June 12
Scott June 12

 

Scott June 12. Volunteer barley was sprayed with Liberty on June 11.
Scott June 12. Volunteer barley was sprayed with Liberty on June 11.

These photos are from June 12 at the Scott UCC site. The variety is L130, currently at the 4-leaf stage, on average.

The entire Scott farm received 100% hail damage in fall 2012, which is why there are such high numbers of volunteer barley. Liberty was applied at the recommended rate of 1.35L/ac on June 11.

June 11 update

Very good seed establishment at Indian Head.
Very good seed establishment at Indian Head. This canola was seeded with a SeedMaster drill using inter-row placement and 14″ row spacing.

May 15 update

Here is the Indian Head site this week. Seeding is close.

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Indian Head site May 14

Scott UCC site on July 26
Scott UCC site on July 26

Scott UCC site on July 26
Scott UCC site on July 26