2015 Ultimate Canola ChallengeNicole Philp

Agronomy Specialist, SW Saskatchewan

Canola Council of Canada

CCC Agronomist Territories

Agenda

• What is the Ultimate Canola Challenge?

• What does it take to do an on-farm trial?

• Field selection

• Seeding Considerations

• In-Crop Considerations

• Swathing and Harvest Considerations

What is the Ultimate Canola Challenge?

• Measure the value of various treatments publicized to improve canola yield and/or quality

• A way to test new/additive products on farm

• Is spending money on additive products worthwhile?

What does it take to do an on-farm trial?

• A question that needs to be answered

• Planning– What treatments are going to be tested?– Field selection– What notes are going to be taken through

the season

• Replication

• Commitment

On-Farm Trial Field Selection

• A uniform field is important!– Field variation can mask treatment

differences

– What should be avoided?

On-Farm Trial Seeding Considerations

• Use the same variety, seeding rate, depth and speed for the entire trial

• Soil testing

• Fertilizer rates should be the same for the entire trial

• Mark where the untreated check and treatment will be in the field

On-Farm Trial In-Crop SprayingCheck Strip Check StripBoron Treatment Boron Treatment

Record Keeping

• Record weather events– Hail– Frost– Excessive heat– Excessive humidity– Excessive rain etc.

Swathing and HarvestingCheck Strip Check StripBoron TreatmentBoron Treatment

Data Collection Sheet- Grower & Site Info

Ultimate Canola Challenge Data Collection              

GROWER & SITE INFORMATION                      

Grower Name     City Province

Grower Address     Telephone

Postal Code     Cell phone

Season Zone (S,M,L)     Email

Canola Council Contact                  

                           

Planting Date (DD-MMM-YY)       Legal Land Loc  

GPS Coordinates     Seed Drill Type:  

Applied Fertility (lb/ac)           Drill Width (ft)   Row Width (in)  

    N P K S   Organic Matter (%)  

              Residual Fertility (H, M, L)  

               

Seeding Information            

Canola Variety Planted      

Seeding Rate      

Seeding Depth      

Seeding Speed      

Data Collection Sheet- Site details

Data Collection Sheet- growing season info

PESTICIDE INFORMATION

$/ac

Pre-seed

In-crop

Fungicide/Insecticide

BORON APPLICATION INFORMATION (indicate if applied with fungicide / insecticide)

$/ac

WEEKLY SCOUTING OBSERVATIONS (watch if start or end of flowering differed between treatments. Include any weather events that may impact the trial)

HARVEST INFORMATION

Harvest Date (DD-MMM-YY)

Plot Size 

(acres)

Seed Rate (lb/acr

e)

Total Pesticide 

cost ($/ac)

Total Fertility cost ($/ac)

Total Cost of 

production  ($/ac)

Plot weight (lbs)

Moisture (%)

Value of Production ($/ac)

Check Strip 0.00Boron Treatment 0.00

Treatment Plot length     (ft) Seed Cost ($/lb)

Date (DD-MMM-YY) Crop Stage Observations

Product

Crop Stage Date (DD-MMM-YY)Product Rate (l/ac)

Crop StageApplication Rate

Swath Date (DD-MMM-YY)

Swather Width (ft)

Date (DD-MMM-YY)

Contact InfoNicole Philp

@PhilpCCC

philpn@canolacouncil.org