Optimising Plant Establishment 2018 Hart Canola Experiment

Data from the 2018 crop establishment trial at Hart, SA. The trial compared the establishment of 44Y89 Canola at different target plant densities, under a conventional seeder and under a precision seeder, and at two different row spacings (a narrow row spacing of 22.9cm and a wide row spacing of 30.5cm). The experiment was run under the UOA1803-009RTX GRDC research project led by the University of Adelaide, and the experiment and data collection were managed locally in Hart by the Hart Field-Site Group.

Files:Hart Canola 2018.xls

Experiment setup:Experiment managed locally by the Hart Field-Site Group. The trial was organised as a split plot design, with 4 main plot treatments (conventional seeder: wide row spacing, conventional seeder: narrow row spacing, precision seeder: wide row spacing, and precision seeder: narrow row spacing), and 6 subplot treatments (target plant density 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 and 65 plants/m2). The design was arranged spatially in 3 bays with 32 rows, 4 replicates, for 96 plots total. The variety of canola sown for the trial was 44Y89.

Variables recorded:initial soil moisture (% and mV), establishment count (plants/m2), seedbed moisture (%), interplant distance (cm), seedling depth (mm), NDVI, yield (t/ha), oil (%), 1000 grain weight (g), flowering mass dry matter (t/ha), harvest biomass fresh weight (g), harvest biomass dry weight (g), harvest biomass seed weight (g), harvest index

Data collection and assessment:The paddock was seeded on 10/05/2018 with the conventional cone seeder, and on 17/05/2018 with the precision seeder. The initial soil moisture was measured at infurrow and midrow locations on 11/05/2018 and 17/05/2018. Plant establishment counts were taken on 6 separate occasions between 23/05/2018 and 21/06/2018, with plant numbers measured in 3 metre marks across two rows. Seedbed moisture was measured on 5 occasions between 23/05/2018 and 21/06/2018 at infurrow and midrow. Interplant distances were measured in cm for all plots. Seedling depth was recorded in mm for plots sown at the 35 plants/m2 density only. NDVI measurements were made on 09/07/2018, 18/07/2018, 30/07/2018, 09/08/2018 and 17/08/2018. Biomass dry weight measurements were made at flowering and again at harvest maturity. At harvest, the yield (in t/ha), oil content, and 1000 grain weight were assessed.