Optimising Plant Establishment 2021 Inverleigh Canola Experiment

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Data from the 2021 crop establishment trial at Inverleigh, VIC. The trial compared the establishment of SF Ignite TT canola at different densities, under a conventional seeder (Vaderstad Rapid) and under a precision seeder (Vaderstad Tempo). The experiment was run under the UOA1803-009RTX GRDC research project led by the University of Adelaide, with the experimental trial and local data collection managed by Southern Farming Systems (SFS).

Files:2021 SFS canola trial.xlsx

Experiment setup:Experiment managed by Southern Farming Systems (SFS). The trial was organised as a randomised complete block design with 4 treatments (conventional seeder vs precision seeder, and target densities 25 and 50 plants/m2), arranged spatially in a single column with 16 rows, 4 replicates, so 16 plots total. The variety of canola sown was SF Ignite TT.

Variables recorded:establishment count (plants/m2), seedling depth (mm), interplant distance (cm), peak biomass (t/ha), harvest biomass (g), harvest index, yield (kg/plot), corrected yield at 8% moisture (t/ha), protein (%), oil (%), test weight (kg/hL), 1000-grain weight (g)

Data collection and assessment:The paddock was sown on 24/04/2021. Emergence counts were made for the first block plots on 12/05/2021, 18/05/2021, 24/05/2021 and 02/06/2021. Seedling depth was recorded for all plots and averaged across 5 counts per plot, measuring from the seed to the soil surface. Interplant distances were assessed and recorded in cm for each plot. Peak biomass and harvest final biomass were measured across three samples taken at each plot. At harvest the yield was recorded in kg/plot and also corrected to 8% moisture content (in t/ha), and the protein and oil content were assessed. The 1000-grain weight was also recorded.