Winter canola production faces the dual challenges of stand establishment and winter survival. In order to establish a good stand, winter canola must be planted when there is good seed zone moisture, which is ideally early. However, pushing the seeding date too early may result in fall drought stress and/or decreased winter survival. Planting canola later in the growing season may result in reduced stands. The competing challenges of stand establishment mean that growers face a difficult decision when picking a planting date for winter canola. The University of Idaho and Washington State University conducted a multi-year planting date study from 2011-2014 at locations across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho titled, Early Planting Dates for Winter Canola in the Inland Pacific Northwest. The aggregated results from the study found that July planting dates had the highest average yields across the Northwest (2,773 lbs/A), with June and August coming in second and third at 2,604 lbs and 2,083 lbs respectively (Davis et al. 2015). It is worth noting that in certain years and locations the August planting date did not achieve any yield.
The bottom line from this research is:
- There is some flexibility in winter canola planting dates
- Ensuring you are planting into good seed zone moisture is the most crucial consideration when picking a winter canola planting date.
In addition to planting date, mowing, growth regulators, companion crops, and grazing have all been suggested as methods for controlling the size and water consumption of early seeded winter canola. Each of these practices have shown some potential when applied correctly and will be covered in future timely topics!
For questions or comments, contact Isaac Madsen via email at isaac_madsen@wsu.edu or via phone at (360) 448-9081.