Timing of nitrogen for canola grown in the medium rainfall areas of Western Australia

2014
CC BY 4.0

Research organisatons
Funding sources

Trial details

Researcher(s) Mark Seymour (DAFWA)
Sally Sprigg (DAFWA)
Year(s) 2014
Contributor Liebe Group
Trial location(s) Wongan Hills, WA
Timing of nitrogen for canola grown in the medium rainfall areas of Western Australia locations
Aims

To investigate the N rate and time of application response of canola varieties to yield and oil content of Triazine tolerant (TT) and Roundup Ready (RR) hybrids in comparison with open-pollinated (OP) types to:

  1. Provide growers in lower rainfall environments with guidelines on times of application to maximise grain and oil yields.
  2. Determine if the management of hybrid canola nutrition is different to that of open pollinated varieties due to different responses to N rates and timing.
Key messages
  • There were significant differences in grain yield (GY) between treatments (N kg/ha and timing), however, GY was particularly low in all treatments. 
  • Total nitrogen (N) increased GY significantly up to 30kg N/ha.
  • Canola oil percentage decreased as N rate increased. High rates of N reduced oil significantly.
  • Applying N late (12 weeks after sowing (WAS) reduced canola oil percentage, however, not significantly.
  • Gross margins decreased as N rates increased, but all gross margins (GM) were negative due to poor GY. Sturt had better gross margins than Pioneer 43Y23RR due to the higher seed costs associated with RR seed.
  • Pioneer 43Y23RR produced higher GY at all rates and timings of applied N other than 10N seeding and 20N 12WAS.
Lead research organisation Department of Agriculture and Food WA
Host research organisation N/A
Trial funding source GRDC
Trial funding source DAFWA
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

GRDC and DAFWA for funding this project.

Mark Seymour, Senior Research Officer, Bob French, Senior Research Officer, Raj Malik, Research Officer, and Martin Harries, Research Officer, DAFWA.

Shari Dougall and Bruce Thorpe, DAFWA Wongan Hills Research Station Unit (RSU).

Laurie Maiolo, Technical Officer, DAFWA.


Other trial partners Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop type Oilseed: Canola
Treatment type(s)
  • Fertiliser: Timing
  • Sowing: Rate
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Replicated

Wongan Hills 2014

Sow rate or Target density 2.4 kg/ha Sturt and 1.5 kg/ha Pioneer 43Y23RR
Sow date 13 April 2014
Harvest date 27 October 2014
Plot size 22m x 1.54m
Plot replication 3
Paddock history 2010: barley, 2011: pasture, 2012: pasture, 2013: wheat
Fertiliser

13/05/2014: 65 kg/ha Big Phos banded, 22 kg/ha Urea top-dressed

15/07/2014: Urea (8 wk treatments, applied at 9 WAS)

05/08/2014: Urea (12 wk treatments)

Herbicide

10/05/2014: 1.5 L/ha Roundup

13/05/2014: 1.5 L/ha Trifluralin, 2L/ha Spray.Seed 250

27/05/2014: 900 g/ha Roundup Ready on RR treatments

10/06/2014: 1% Spray Oil, 2.2 kg/ha Atrazine on TT treatments

Insecticide

13/05/2014: 100 mL/ha Bifenthrin

05/06/2014: 0.85 mL/ha Dimethoate

10/06/2014: 300 mL/ha Alpha Cypermetherin

Other trial notes

Paper reviewed by:  Bob French, Senior Research Officer, DAFWA

 

Contact

Sally Sprigg, DAFWA

sally.sprigg@agric.wa.gov.au

(08) 9081 3153

Download the trial report to view additional method/treatment information

Download results

Trial results Table 1

# Treatment 1
Mean yield (t/ha) Pioneer 43Y23RR Yield (t/ha) Sturt Yield (t/ha)
1 Nil 662 713 611
2 10N seeding 636 667 605
3 30N in 8 weeks 737.5 781 694
4 50N in 8 weeks 747.5 792 703
5 70N in 8 weeks 752.5 764 741
6 10N seeding and 20N 12WAS 699 667 731
7 10N seeding and 40N 12WAS 736 796 676
8 10N seeding and 60N 12WAS 719.5 747 692
9 30N in 8 weeks and 10N 12WAS 734 785 683
10 30N in 8 weeks and 20N 12WAS 705.5 708 703
11 30N in 8 weeks and 40N 12WAS 722 750 694

Mean yield t/ha


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Pioneer 43Y23RR Yield t/ha


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Sturt Yield t/ha


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Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Site Depth Type pH EC P K N A OC CAT
Wongan Hills, WA 0 - 10cm Brown Sandy Earth (Over gravel) 6.40 0.09
Wongan Hills, WA 10 - 20cm Brown Sandy Earth (Over gravel) 5.30 0.07
Wongan Hills, WA 20 - 30cm Brown Sandy Earth (Over gravel) 5.30 0.06
Wongan Hills, WA 30 - 40cm Brown Sandy Earth (Over gravel) 6.00 0.06
Wongan Hills, WA 40 - 50cm Brown Sandy Earth (Over gravel) 6.80 0.10
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
Wongan Hills, WA Brown sandy loam
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Wongan Hills, WA Kandosol
Soil Moisture Source: BOM/ANU
Average amount of water stored in the soil profile during the year, estimated by the OzWALD model-data fusion system.
Year Wongan Hills WA
2014 147.7mm
2013 193.2mm
2012 191.1mm
2011 172.5mm
2010 146.8mm
2009 183.7mm
2008 202.7mm
2007 163.7mm
2006 176.1mm
2005 164.6mm
2004 182.2mm
2003 192.8mm
2002 134.6mm
2001 139.2mm
2000 207.0mm
National soil grid Source: CSIRO/TERN
NOTE: National Soil Grid data is aggregated information for background information on the wider area
Actual soil values can vary significantly in a small area and the trial soil tests are the most relevant data where available

Soil properties

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Climate

Wongan Hills WA 2014


Observed climate information

Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 276mm

Derived climate information

Wongan Hills WA

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Some data on this site is sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology

SILO weather estimates sourced from https://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/silo/
Jeffrey, S.J., Carter, J.O., Moodie, K.B. and Beswick, A.R. (2001). Using spatial interpolation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data , Environmental Modelling and Software, Vol 16/4, pp 309-330. DOI: 10.1016/S1364-8152(01)00008-1.



Trial last modified: 11-09-2017 12:18pm AEST