LAKE COUNTRY CO-OP AGRO TRUSTED ADVISOR QUICK HITTER
Canola Seeding Rate
Seeding canola by the traditional five pounds to the acre is becoming a practice of the past. BASF's new line of InvigorRate canola highlights the importance of seeding according to the Thousand Seed Weight (TSW) of a seed lot, to target the ideal plant population. This practice should be utilized with all varieties of canola to determine seeding rate and the following formula can be used:
Seeding Rate (lbs/ac) = 9.6 x Desired Plant Stand *plants/sq ft) x TSW (grams) / Estimated Survivability (%)
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The desired plant stand goal should be 5-7 plants per square foot and survivability of 50-70% should be used according to environmental conditions, but 60% is the industry standard. This calculation results in planting an appropriate amount of seeds to optimize: seedbed space; resources of light, water, and fertility; and provide enough viable plants to tolerate stress but not excessive plants to create intra-crop competition. In turn, this will result in uniform maturity, reduced disease pressure, increased productivity, and higher yield. The TSW of a seed lot can be found on the seed tag of the individual bag or the pallet label. It is important to note that a larger TSW does not correlate to better germination or vigor. A larger TSW does require a higher seeding rate to achieve the same plant population as a smaller TSW seed lot.
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For assistance in calculating the correct seeding rate for your operation contact your Lake Country Co-op Grow Team Member. Published March 2021, Sara.
In-Season Record-Keeping, Why?
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During a busy spray season, it can be hard to keep track of everything that is happening on a day-to-day basis. Between the weather, crop stages, unforeseen issues, mechanical problems, and everything that can happen when we least expect it; it's very important to have a copy of what you have done. Keeping records is not only beneficial for your own assurance but also for accurate information for your agronomists’ future reference. Having a semi-detailed field summary can become very beneficial.
Take a few minutes to jot down the date, approximate field stage, the product you are spraying, the rate you are using, water volume, the temperature, and the wind speed/direction during the application. This information can be highly useful if you are inquiring about a product complaint as it helps when you have the facts to back your case. When spraying, if something in the field looks "off" such as coloring, bare patches, excess weeds, or anything out of the ordinary, write it down. You can send this information to your agronomist and they will be able to look into it to see if there is a solution to the issue. At the end of the season, the information that you recorded on the individual fields can be useful for record-keeping and future planning. Paying attention to products that you have sprayed that might have cropping restrictions or if you have any residual problems the following year. All the data can be useful at some point.
If interested, your information can be stored in an agronomy tool within the Co-op that can help keep track of the data, crop rotation, products used and fertilizer applied year over year. Contact your Local Grow Team Agronomist for more information. Published January 2021, Shanna.
