Plant geometry and density for management of canola crops in the Northern Agricultural Region of Western Australia
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
9-2018
Conference Title
AusCanola 2018 - 20th Australian Research Assembly on Brassicas
Place of Publication
Perth
Keywords
Canola, Brassica napus, density, uniformity, competition
Disciplines
Agronomy and Crop Sciences
Abstract
Field survey and plot trials conducted in the northern agricultural region of Western Australia in 2015 and 2016 found that there is scope to improve canola (Brassica napus) yield by increasing the uniformity of spatial distribution of plants. Canola plant density in commercial fields ranged widely from 9 to 63 plants/m2 averaging 23 plants/m2 . At the average density plants were spaced +/- 12 cm apart within the crop row. In a plot trial at densities below 40 plants/m2 there was a yield improvement of 5% when plants were spaced evenly compared to unevenly. In this trial uneven treatments were analogous to the spatial distribution measured in the surveyed fields. The yield increase was due to an increase in pod number per plant and square metre from uniform distribution.
Recommended Citation
Harries, M,
French, B,
and
Seymour, M.
(2018), Plant geometry and density for management of canola crops in the Northern Agricultural Region of Western Australia, AusCanola 2018 - 20th Australian Research Assembly on Brassicas, Perth, pp.76-82.
https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/conf_papers/40
