Five years of canola research across eastern Australia will come together to provide growers with critical insights into sowing time, growth periods and flowering, and agronomic tactics – as part of the Optimised Canola Profitability information sessions roadshow across Victoria and South Australia.
Expert researchers will deliver the one-day workshops directly to growers and farm advisers, covering topics such as: when canola should flower; matching sowing date and variety to ensure the crop flowers at the right time; the critical growth period for canola; optimising canola crop growth; and the key agronomic tactics to maximise yield.
The Optimised Canola Profitability project is a collaboration between the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), CSIRO, the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, and the South Australian Research and Development Institute, the research division of Primary Industries and Regions SA.
As part of the project, 50 field experiments were conducted from 2014 to 2018 to identify the best sowing dates to maximise yield for different canola varieties based on their phenology (rates of development).
The experiments were located at 14 sites, from SA’s Eyre Peninsula and Victoria’s Wimmera through to the central-west slopes of NSW and the Darling Downs in south-eastern Queensland.
GRDC Grower Relations Manager – South, Randall Wilksch, says the Optimised Canola Profitability project has produced comprehensive guidelines for canola growers across eastern Australia.
“The roadshow events in Victoria and South Australia over the coming weeks will be an opportunity for growers to discuss the guidelines – on aspects of production such as regional varietal selection, weed, pest and disease management, soil nutrition and windrow timing – with key researchers,” Mr Wilksch says.
“Any growers wanting to extract more from their canola crops are encouraged to attend.”
The free-of-charge Optimised Canola Profitability information sessions are from 9.30am-3pm on:
- September 11 – Birchip (Vic), as part of the Birchip Cropping Group main field day
- September 17 – Longerenong (Vic)
- September 18 – Elmore (Vic)
- October 28 – Cummins (SA)
- October 29 – Adelaide (SA).
