Does seeding date and rate of canola effect spring flea beetle pressure, yield, and quality?
Term: 1 Year, ending March 2025
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Brianne McInnes, NARF; Amber Wall, Bryan Nybo, WCA; Jessica Enns, Alex Waldner, WARC; Bella Boot, Ashebir Tsedeke Godebo, Irrigation Saskatchewan
SaskCanola Investment: $17,200
Total Project Cost: $34,400
Funding Partners: ADOPT
Project Summary
To evaluate the effect of seeding date and rate on canola flea beetle pressure, yield and quality a demonstration was conducted near Melfort (NARF), Outlook (ISask), Swift Current (WCA), and Scott (WARC), SK in 2024.
The demonstration was small plot with four replications. The design was a split-plot with seed date as the main plot and seed rate as the sub-plot. Five different seeding dates were used (Ultra early, early, typical, late and very late) in combination with two different seeding rates (1X and 2X) to create ten treatments. Data collection was soil temp at seeding time, days to emergence, plant density, flea beetle pressure, days to maturity, grain yield and per cent oil. On average across locations, seeding canola early increased days to emergence, decreased plant density, increased flea beetle pressure, increased days to maturity, increased grain yield (50% of the time), and increased per cent oil as compared to a typical seed date. An increased seeding rate often increased plant density, decreased flea beetle pressure, decreased days to maturity, and increased yield (50% of the time). There were very rarely significant interactions of seeding date and seeding rate.