Reducing risks to canola establishment through an integrated understanding of genetics, management, and environment.

Successful canola establishment is foundational to delivering a profitable crop; especially to seize opportunities when canola prices are over $1000/t, as was the case during the 2021 growing season. A summary of feedback from recent (2021) National Grower Network (NGN) meetings reaffirms canola establishment is still a significant constraint to growers, with different soil types providing different challenges for growers.
Despite favourable conditions, canola establishment remains an ongoing issue for growers, with consistent reports of 50% establishment even when using high-quality, high-germinating seed. For example, in 2017, a survey of 96 commercial canola paddocks reported average plant establishment of 48% which improved by 12% from low to high rainfall zones (GAPP, 2017). Target plant crop densities (plants/m²) are well established for low (hybrid 20-25 OP 30-40), medium (hybrid 25-30, OP 40-50) and high rainfall (hybrid 40-60, OP 50-70) zones, with studies showing significant yield decline below plant densities of 20 plants per m² (DPIRD 2014). This yield penalty with current grain prices represents a significant loss to growers.