Miller: Developing Profitable Canola Production Strategies for Semiarid Prairie

Date: April 1999
Term: 3 years
Status: Completed
Researcher(s): Perry Miller, Sangamesh Angadi, Gord Androsoff, Brian McConkey, Herb Cutforth, Dan Ulrich, Martin Entz, Stu Brandt and Karl Volkmar, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Swift Current, SK
SaskCanola Investment: n/a
Total Project Cost: n/a
Funding Partners: n/a

Project Summary

Researchers at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Station in Swift Current wanted to determine the adaptability of B. juncea genotypes to the agroclimatic conditions in the semiarid prairie. In a three-year project from 1996 to 1998 researchers evaluated six genotypes at nine field locations across the semi-arid prairies. They also evaluated heat stress in a two-year growth chamber study. Overall, the oriental mustard genotype Cutlass was better adapted to semiarid conditions than canola genotypes. The B. juncea CQ lines were comparable to Argentine canola in yield potential, but had better seedling vigor, less insect and disease problems, better temperature tolerance and less seed shattering making them a good crop for semiarid prairie. Seeding early can help avoid or reduce heat stress in the field.

Water and nitrogen are the two major factors affecting productivity in the semiarid prairie region around Swift Current. In the late 1990s, three Brassica species were available for edible oil production in the semiarid prairie, including Argentine canola (Brassica napus), Polish canola (B. rapa) and Oriental mustard (B. juncea). Researchers at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Station in Swift Current wanted to determine the adaptability of B. juncea genotypes to the agroclimatic conditions in the semiarid prairie with special emphasis on canola quality (CQ) lines.

In this three-year project, field experiments were conducted during the summers of 1996, 1997 and 1998 at nine different locations, ranging from dry brown to dark brown regions of Saskatchewan and representing the variation in agroclimatic conditions on the semiarid prairie. Six Brassica genotypes including three B. juncea (Cutlass, CQ1 and CQ2), two B. napus (Quantum,Legacy/AC H102) and one B. rapa (Maverick) were studied for yield responses to nitrogen application at low, normal and high risk levels. Researchers also evaluated genotypes for crop establishment, flowering period, nitrogen response, water use, temperature response and crop yield. Observations on plant populations, days to flower, days to mature, plant height and above ground biomass accumulation were recorded on all trials.

Overall, the results showed that the oriental mustard Cutlass was better adapted to semiarid conditions than canola genotypes. The B. juncea CQ lines were comparable to Argentine canola in yield potential, but had better seedling vigor, less insect and disease problems, better temperature tolerance and less seed shattering making them a good crop for semiarid prairie.

Crop establishment, growth and population density was affected by genotype, location and year. B. juncea CQ lines and Cutlass had the highest plant populations, indicating better seedling vigour than polish canola. Quantum flowered about 5 days later than CQ1 and 6 days later than Maverick. Overall, Maverick matured about 9 days earlier than Quantum, Cutlass 2 days earlier and CQ1 matured 1 day later than Quantum. Crop development was more influenced by site year than by nitrogen rates.

In terms of seed yield, Cutlass averaged 15% higher than Quantum, CQ1 was 5% higher, while Maverick yielded 14% lower than Quantum. Overall, there was a 32% difference in seed yield between the highest and lowest yielding genotypes. The seed yield of CQ1, Cutlass and Quantum increased with successive increases in N levels, but Maverick responded to only normal risk level N. Pooled over genotypes common to all 14 site years, seed yield increased by 360 and 480 kg/ha with application of N at normal risk and high-risk recommendation rates. Canola and mustard require N applications, however limited water restricts taking advantage of high N rates. Yield advantages of up to 500 kg/ha can be realized with N applications. N application also improves water use efficiency by 20%.

Researchers also conducted growth chamber experiments at the Swift Current Research Station in 1997 and 1998 to compare the response of three brassica to short periods of high temperature stress. B. juncea (Cutlass, CQ1), B. napus (Quantum) and B. rapa (Parkland) genotypes were compared for high temperature tolerance. The results of the study showed that daytime temperatures of 35C was very harmful to reproductive growth and pod formation in all three species, with the damage to yield forming traits being more severe at the flowering stage than at the pod development stage. Among the species, B. rapa was most susceptible to high temperature stress. CQ1 did not establish superiority over either Cutlass or Quantum. In the field, seeding early can help avoid or reduce heat stress.

Scientific Publications

Angadi, S.V., H.W. Cutforth, P.R. Miller, B.G. McConkey, M.H. Entz, S.A. Brandt and K.M. Volkmar. 2000. Response of three Brassica species to high temperature stress during reproductive growth. Can. J. Plant Sci. 80: 693-701.

Miller, P.R., S.V. Angadi, G.L. Androsoff, B.G. McConkey, C.L. McDonald, S.A. Brandt, H.W. Cutforth, M.H. Entz and K.M. Volkmar. 2003. Comparing Brassica oilseed crop productivity under contrasting N fertility regimes in the semiarid northern Great Plains. Can. J. Plant Sci. 83: 489-497.

Angadi, S. V., B.G. McConkey, H.W. Cutforth, P.R. Miller, D. Ulrich, F. Selles, K.M. Volkmar, M.H. Entz, and S.A. Brandt. 2008. Adaptation of alternative pulse and oilseed crops to the semiarid Canadian Prairie: Seed yield and water use efficiency. Can. J. Plant Sci. 88: 425-438.

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