Five tips for growing high-vigour canola seed

Summary

Canola seed has less energy reserves than larger-seeded crops and, as a result, is more sensitive to poor establishment across a range of seasonal conditions and agronomic management practices. Open-pollinated (OP) canola is grown across a significant area in  the low to medium rainfall zones across Australia. Growers often produce OP canola crops from retained seed, but poor establishment is commonly reported due to low vigour seed-lots. Research and field surveys have identified that growers often only establish half of what is sown, and if the autumn break was less favourable, it is likely to be much less.

The aim of this guide is to outline the key steps to improve canola establishment using grower-retained seed. How you manage this year’s seed-crop could very well determine the success of next year’s establishment and financial return.