Blackshaw: Consistent and Environmentally Sound Canola Production
Date: March 2013
Term: n/a
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Dr. Robert Blackshaw, Xiying Hao, Hector Carcamo, Elwin Smith, Newton Lupwayi, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Lethbridge AB, Neil Harker, John O’Donovan, Kelly Turkington, AAFC Lacombe AB, Eric Johnson, AAFC Scott SK, Kevin Falk, AAFC Saskatoon SK
SaskCanola Investment: n/a
Total Project Cost: n/a
Funding Partners: n/a
Project Summary
Canola seeded area has nearly doubled in the last 10 years and ongoing expansion of the canola crushing industry and the growing potential for canola biodiesel production could require a further expansion in canola production in Canada by another 50% in the next decade. In 2007, researchers with AAFC initiated a multi-study to evaluate integrated management systems for sustainable canola production to prepare for this expansion. The systems that were evaluated in this study will enhance economic benefits in the entire canola industry and provide new agricultural opportunities as a result of the consistent production stocks for canola biodiesel.
Canola is second only to wheat in cropped area in Canada and is usually more profitable than wheat. Canola seeded area has nearly doubled in the last 10 years while wheat area has declined 20% in the same time period. Ongoing expansion of the canola crushing industry and the growing potential for canola biodiesel production could be a need to further expand canola production in Canada by another 50% in the next decade; a daunting challenge in terms of sustainable and environmentally sound agricultural production practices.
Researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) initiated a multi-study project in 2007 to evaluate integrated management systems for sustainable canola production. The project included four key studies carried out across western Canada, including: a long-term canola rotations study, an input study, a breeding program for advanced breeding lines of Ethiopian mustard study and a nitrogen dynamics study.
Canola Rotations Study
A long-term canola rotation experiment (led by Neil Harker) that includes continuous canola with canola being grown in 2-year rotations (canola-wheat) or 3-year rotations (peas-barley-canola or lentils-wheat-canola) was conducted at five sites across western Canada. The objectives were to determine the potential for canola to be included more frequently in crop rotations in a sustainable and environmentally benign way. Data collection included disease, insect and weed incidence, soil microbial biomass and diversity, and overall soil nutrient status, canola yield and quality, overall oil production for the potential biodiesel market, and economic analyses.
The initial results of the study to the end of the 2012 growing season confirmed that continuous canola production is not a sustainable practice. There was a consistent trend of yields being lower when canola is grown every year compared with being grown in 2-year rotations (canola-wheat) or 3-year rotations (peas-barley-canola or lentils-wheat-canola). This long-term rotation experiment is continuing for three more years, from 2014 to 2016.
Input Study
A four-year field experiment (led by Eric Johnson) was conducted to determine the agronomic and economic benefits of hybrid and open-pollinated cultivars, various seeding rates (75 or 150 seeds/m2), various fertilizer rates (0, 50 or 100% of soil test recommendation), and various herbicide rates (0, 50 or 100% of registered rate (glufosinate plus clethodim)) conducted at six sites (24 site-years) in western Canada. The objective was to determine which crop inputs are most critical for consistent and profitable canola production. Canola was grown in rotation with barley and both phases of the rotation were present each year.
Treatments were applied on the same plots in four consecutive years to assess annual and cumulative effects of a 'full' input package compared with an 'empty' input package:
Full package
Full minus best genetics
Full minus 50% seed
Full minus 50% fertilizer
Full minus all fertilizer
Full minus 50% herbicide
Full minus all herbicide
Input Removal and Input Addition Effects on Canola Yield – All Years
Overall, the results indicated that crop inputs could be reduced for one or two years without large negative effects on canola yield, but that crop productivity markedly declined with reduced crop inputs in subsequent years. Using competitive cropping systems (hybrid cultivars, adequate seed rates) can lessen the dependence on herbicides for weed management. Weed biomass could be maintained at low levels if herbicides were applied at a 50% rate, as long as a competitive hybrid canola cultivar was grown and the 100% seeding rate was utilized. However, total removal of herbicides resulted in large increases in weed biomass and this became worse over the 4-year study. There also was a trend towards the full fertilizer rate increasing weed biomass especially if herbicide inputs were reduced.
The ranking of canola yield response to the various inputs was herbicide > fertilizer = cultivar > seed rate. A full economic analyses was completed at the end of the study to establish risk categories that will help growers to make decisions that suit their preferences regarding the use of crop inputs.
Breeding Program
A breeding program for advanced breeding lines of Ethiopian mustard (led by Kevin Falk) continues to be developed and evaluated under field conditions for important characteristics such as maturity, yield and oil content. The objective is to develop Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata) as a new canola-quality oilseed crop on the Canadian prairies. Early maturing germplasms/cultivars are being developed by cross breeding and pedigree selection. Breeding populations are being evaluated in replicated breeding nurseries, including full plot field trials at various western Canadian locations and contra-season nurseries, in order to fast-track populations.
Under the program advanced breeding lines of Ethiopian mustard continue to be developed and evaluated under field conditions for important characteristics such as maturity, yield and oil content. The results to date indicate that there is good potential for Ethiopian mustard to be a new oilseed crop on the Canadian prairies in the future.
Nitrogen Dynamics (See 3.2.3.)
A multi-year study (led by Bob Blackshaw) was conducted at five sites in Alberta and Saskatchewan to determine the merits of polymer-coated urea (ESN - Environmentally Smart Nitrogen-Agrium) compared with urea on weed management and yield of hybrid and open-pollinated (OP) canola. Results from the study confirmed that hybrid canola cultivars are more competitive with weeds, but both hybrid and open-pollinated canola responded positively to higher than currently recommended N fertilizer rates in about 50% of the cases. As well, ESN (Environmentally Smart Nitrogen-Agrium) compared with urea fertilizer reduced N2O emissions by 20% and increased canola yield in 25% of the cases.
From these four major studies under this multi-study project, best management practices for expanded, profitable and sustainable canola production in Canada will be developed. The integrated management systems for sustainable canola production that were evaluated in this multi-study project will enhance economic benefits in the entire canola industry and provide new agricultural opportunities as a result of the consistent production stocks for canola biodiesel.
Scientific Publications
Blackshaw, R.E., X. Hao, R. N. Brandt, G. W. Clayton, K. N. Harker, J. T. O’Donovan, E. N. Johnson, and C. L. Vera. 2011. Canola response to ESN and urea in a four-year no-till cropping system. Agronomy Journal 103:92-99.
Li, C., X. Hao, R. E. Blackshaw, J. T. O’Donovan, K. N. Harker, and G. W. Clayton. 2012. Nitrous oxide emissions in response to ESN and urea, herbicide management, and canola cultivar in a no-till cropping system. Soil and Tillage Research 118:97-106.
Full Report PDF: Long report not available