Canola seed size for planting?

[furrowtickler]

Here is an example of stubble from canola planted at 2 lbs and canola seeded at 5 lbs .. tells the same kinda story ..

5 lbs with seed drill


2 lbs with planter

What do you think the plants looked like during peak growing season ?
I know , I have seen the difference for over 5 years , every year . And also when using a planter and PP , fungicide use has been near zero . Healthier plants and air movement reduces plant disease dramatically. Disease starts with spindly plants the vast majority of the time . Why ? Because spindly plants have lower sugar levels right from the get go .
Seen this in peas seeded with planter as well , low areas that generally fall down from disease pressure are nearly non existent when planted on 15 in rows and 1.5 bus / ac rate . But that just common sense . Is it applicable on every farm in every climate zone .. probably not .

[furrowtickler]

Oops forgot to attach this

Yup see that lots around bins , shops and sheds
But also out in the fields where individual plants have space to grow .
I have seen plants as big or even twice that size when scouting fields where a planter and or seeder has not turned on fast enough on headlands or in wet areas where other plants have drowned out but a few made er. Nothing most of us have not seen before .

Oops forgot to attach this

[furrowtickler]

Spring frosts of -6c or more can thin stand quickly. Disc seeders are most susceptible to frost damage, plants are not in trench like 'hoe' planters... why we gave up on disc seeders... mortality was twice as much in zero till.

Yup that is a concern , that’s why a blackened seed row is important, something you can’t get with a disc drill or precision placement. Both make a huge difference. In a total zero till situation you are right . We’ve seen that as well . One of the reasons we went to a coulter harrow to manage crop residue better and leave the soil slightly blacker .
Also very low seed row toxicity with just Alpine in seed row . Makes huge difference for survivability . Next to zero salt load in or near seed row. Helps keep plant sugar levels higher lowering frost damage as wel

Will agree with your assessment on seed size and vigour , also better tolerance to light frosts . Have seen 4 TKW seed nearly wiped out and 6 TKW only loose 10-20% .
We will get 20-22 ac per bag on seed size 5 tkw or less , but with planter accuracy drops the smaller the seed size . Best seems to be 5.5 to 6.5 , above that accuracy stays the same .
Try to target 190,000 in good conditions , up to 220,000 seeds /ac if dry or a bit early .
Range 25 - 15 ac / 25 kg bag depending on seed size and environmental conditions.
Will adjust rates even with bags sold by seed size depending on conditions and / or timing of seeding . Always a bit heavier if before the 15Th of May .
Beetles generally not an issue unless frost has damaged seedlings . But again if using larger seed , flea damage is significantly less due to vigour .
It’s quite a balancing act between seed timing , soil moisture , soil temperature and seed size along with growing conditions the first two weeks after emergence

You're obviously way ahead of the game with the planter. What do you make of this volunteer plant though. Pic taken mid June south coast near Esperance. No fert, no insecticide, no fungicide, no herbicides.

[TOM4CWB]

Plots on right seeded at 5.5 lbs , below 15 bus / ac

Field seeded with planter at 2.2 lbs , 26 bus ac

They target 10/12 plants
We target 5-6
We ended up with 4 after spring frosts

Had near zero regrowth where planter was used , planter canola simply never burnt out as quick .

Plots looked significantly better by June 20th
But by July 15th they were toast .
On an average year there is very little difference.

Spring frosts of -6c or more can thin stand quickly. Disc seeders are most susceptible to frost damage, plants are not in trench like 'hoe' planters... why we gave up on disc seeders... mortality was twice as much in zero till.

[furrowtickler]

Difference between seed graded at 1.8 mm and 2 mm is approx 37% more volume in the larger seed, that's very significant. That gives the seed more vigour, energy reserves to compete with insects, weeds. Less seeds per kilo though, wise to increase seeding rate.

Will agree with your assessment on seed size and vigour , also better tolerance to light frosts . Have seen 4 TKW seed nearly wiped out and 6 TKW only loose 10-20% .
We will get 20-22 ac per bag on seed size 5 tkw or less , but with planter accuracy drops the smaller the seed size . Best seems to be 5.5 to 6.5 , above that accuracy stays the same .
Try to target 190,000 in good conditions , up to 220,000 seeds /ac if dry or a bit early .
Range 25 - 15 ac / 25 kg bag depending on seed size and environmental conditions.
Will adjust rates even with bags sold by seed size depending on conditions and / or timing of seeding . Always a bit heavier if before the 15Th of May .
Beetles generally not an issue unless frost has damaged seedlings . But again if using larger seed , flea damage is significantly less due to vigour .
It’s quite a balancing act between seed timing , soil moisture , soil temperature and seed size along with growing conditions the first two weeks after emergence

[furrowtickler]

Plots on right seeded at 5.5 lbs , below 15 bus / ac

Field seeded with planter at 2.2 lbs , 26 bus ac

They target 10/12 plants
We target 5-6
We ended up with 4 after spring frosts

Had near zero regrowth where planter was used , planter canola simply never burnt out as quick .

Plots looked significantly better by June 20th
But by July 15th they were toast .
On an average year there is very little difference.

[workboots]

Has anyone else had a look at the 21 Bourgault trials? Higher seed rates in dry conditions actually reduced yields. I would say the trend is leaning to dry conditions for 22 here so this is something to keep in mind.

The 20 crop year trials actually reinforced the fact that high seed rates do not boost yield. The higher seeding rates had a slight advantage on days to maturity with no yield advantage.( this was a near optimal moisture conditions with very high fertility )

These hybrids pack an enormous yield potential. The real limiting factors are likely fertility and moisture and chemical residues.

[agstar77]

Soy sold 50 thousand a unit.