Setting canola up for a strong start isn’t always easy, especially in dry soils, with lurking pests, and unpredictable spring weather. A few key decisions made at seeding can set the stage for strong emergence and an eventual successful harvest, too.
In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Canola School, Dana Riley, tech service specialist with BASF, discusses strategies that growers can use to boost canola seed survival — a critical early-season focus.
Early-season diseases, such as blackleg and the seedling disease complex are still threats, even after several dry years. “We’ve kind of forgotten about some of those things,” she says, but reminds growers that a good number of early season diseases are protected by the base seed treatment.
Seed treatments rely on quick emergence to be effective. “If your seed is sitting in dry soil or too wet of soil, or cold soil, really, it’s going to delay emergence,” Riley warns, adding, “Delayed emergence is probably your worst enemy when it comes to seed treatment.”
Riley also reinforces the importance of using the right seeding depth (not too deep!) and timely management of canola pests, and making sure not to increase seed-placed fertilizer too much.
“Canola is one of those plants that when you get established, it will grow like a weed,” Riley explains, “but getting it out of that seedling stage can be really difficult.”
The bottom line? Strong stands start with smart, timely decisions at seeding.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | All Podcasts