Winter Canola Yield and Survival As a Function of Environment, Genetics, and Management.

Growing winter canola creates cropping system diversity and provides rotation alternatives for producers. Stand establishment and winter survival are two of the main factors to attaining successful winter canola production. The objective of this research was to investigate the impact of environment, crop management, genetics and their interactions on canola stand establishment, survival, yield, and oil and protein contents. Two datasets were analyzed: results from the National Winter Canola Variety Trials conducted from 2003 to 2012 and data from experiments conducted for three years (2010–2012) in Manhattan, Kansas, to assess the impact of planting date, tillage, and cultivar on canola yield and survival. Canola has the potential to yield up to 7 Mg per ha; however, actual yields were usually in the range of 0 to 4 Mg per ha. The average oil content of canola seeds was 40%, but the potential extended to 47%. Environment, defined as a combination of year and location, was responsible for the majority of variation in yield, oil content, stand establishment, and survival of winter canola. In only a few cases did tillage improve winter survival and yield compared to no-tillage. Crown height was greater in no tillage treatments compared with conventional tillage treatments, but a significant relationship was not observed between crown height and winter survival or yield. Cultivars differed significantly in yield, survival, and crown height, but no cultivars were consistently superior under no tillage or with planting outside of the recommended time frame.