Canola National Variety Trial Results 2014

Key Messages

The 2014 growing season was very kind to the mid-long maturity groups. Clearfield (IT) and Roundup Ready (RR) continue to demonstrate a yield advantage over the Triazine tolerant (TT) group.

Roundup Ready Triazine tolerant (RT) varieties were in the NVT program for the second year and their performance was a very close second to benchmark hybrids from the TT group which indicates that this chemistry group should only be used for its herbicide agronomic traits. TT hybrids have demonstrated some yield benefit over open pollenated lines.

The financial reward from the oil bonus has shown benefit with some varieties, but remains the second selection criteria as yield is still the biggest influencing factor on profit.Disclaimer: It is advisable not to make widespread recommendations or management decisions on variety replacement or retention based only on the 2014 NVT data.

Aims

The aim of the program is to evaluate a range of current and soon to be released canola varieties established at a single sowing time and under regional, grower accepted, and standard practice. Growers are able to select varieties with new and improved quality, maturity and disease traits which in turn provide breeders with feedback on the direction they need to be taking their respective breeding operations in WA.

Method

The trials are distributed as evenly as possible across Australia in the main soil types and rainfall zones, and where possible, the trials are located with active grower groups to provide a focal point for the main grower group research sites.

The trials are sown and harvested as close to or before district grower practice to ensure variety performance is similar to that seen by growers on their farms. The varieties in the trials are either currently available to growers or will soon have commercial release to market and are benchmarked against district standards and quality check varieties.

Field assessments of emergence, vigour, and days to flowering are conducted across all of the trials along with other opportune assessments that occur in different growing seasons e.g. disease, shattering.

All varieties have a CBH delivery standard analysis conducted on oil, seed & meal protein and moisture.

Data Analysis Method

Agzone ranking is calculated by:

1. Ranking varieties based on yield at each location
2. Averaging these ranks within an Agzone
3. Ranking each variety average rank for an Agzone

State ranking is calculated by averaging the average rank within each ag zone (from step 2) across all agzones. The approach of average ranking was taken for this paper for a board overview of variety performance, while the more advanced analysis technique of production value plus will be used on a regional basis which may result in some adjustments to the rankings.

2014 ranking excludes unreleased varieties and trials not released.

Results

Table 1 AgZone and State Average Yield Rankings for Roundup Ready (RR) Canola

Table 2: AgZone and State Average Yield Rankings for Clearfield (IT) Canola

Conclusion

In the IT chemistry group, Archer, Pioneer 44Y87 and Pioneer 45Y88 were top performers across most sites. There are limited results for low rainfall areas to form a conclusive result, but Hyola 474, Pioneer 44Y87 and 44Y89 appear to perform well.

Growers are spoilt for choice in the Roundup Ready (RR) chemistry group as there are several good varieties to choose from in the early to mid maturity groups. New varieties Hyola 500 and Pioneer 45Y25 performed as well as proven performers like GT50 and Pioneer 44Y24 in the medium to high rainfall environments. IH 30, Pioneer 44Y24, Hyola 404 and Pioneer 43Y23 are still the top available lines for the low to medium rainfall environments.

For the medium to high rainfall environments in the Triazine Tolerant (TT) group there has been an increased number of hybrid varieties released compared to the open pollinated (OP) lines. The cost benefit of hybrids over OP has been marginal since the introduction of TT hybrid genetics. However in 2012 Hyola 559 and CB Atomic showed a significant benefit which has been supported by another solid performance in 2013 and 2014 by Hyola 559 and Hyola 450. Due to this improved performance, financial gain could be realised in certain areas.

The NVT website (NVT Website) is the primary source of NVT results. Search tools on the site allow comparison of variety performance within and between regions, locally and nationally. Extension of the results at the agribusiness and regional crop updates is vitally important to maximise the benefit of the program to the WA and Australian agricultural industry.