NGN - Canola establishment in the low rainfall zones of the Western Region

At recent Grower Network forums and member meetings the issue of poor canola establishment was raised. In the 2021 season there was the opportunity to sow into moist soil and the rate of failure was around 20%, whereas when sown dry, some growers have indicated it can be up to 50% of the area sown that has poor establishment. For the majority of growers, every year they have a proportion of canola that fails to germinate, and it appears to be influenced by different factors every time. Growers have tried to increase the germination rates by inter-row sowing which did not produce a better outcome. Wetters have been used with mixed results, including inducing a false break. Different seeding depths have also been trialled, including mixing seeding depths in the one seeding pass, and the outcome has still not been satisfactory.

This investment aims to validate and extend previous agronomic and management research on how to successfully establish canola in the low rainfall zones of WA as well as including Grower Network feedback on what has/has not worked for members. A minimum of four sites will be conducted as small plot trials with a minimum of three replicates. Trial sites could target areas within paddocks that have performed poorly in previous seasons.