Winter Canola Performance in Ohio.

Lack of varieties adapted to Ohio conditions was one reason given by producers for not planting winter canola. Improved varieties have been developed from public and private sources. To determine if these varieties were adapted to local conditions, Ohio participated in the National Winter Canola Variety Trials for eight years, 2005 - 2012. Trials were established at the North Central and Northwest OARDC Research Stations near Fremont and Custar, OH, respectively. Sites were planted the first part of September and harvested the first part of the following July. Each site consisted of 25 to 50 varieties depending upon the testing year. Each variety was established in 5 x 25 ft plots at 7 in row spacing. Winter survival ratings, flowering date, plant height, and grain yield and test weight were collected for each variety. Experimental design was a completely randomized block with three replications. Fall-Winter weather caused the Custer site to be abandoned in 2005 and 2007. Fremont site was abandoned in 2011 but was not weather related. Trial averages over years for the Fremont site was 2274 lb acre^-1; trial averages for the Custar site was 3026 lb acre^-1. Yield range for years was 1743 to 3128 and 1446 to 4042 lb acre^-1, Fremont and Custar, respectively. These trials have shown that producers have adequate number of varieties currently adapted to Ohio conditions to successfully grow winter canola.