Optimising Plant Establishment 2018 Hart Canola Experiment

<p dir="ltr">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.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Files:</strong>Hart Canola 2018.xls</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Experiment setup:</strong>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.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Variables recorded:</strong>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</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Data collection and assessment:</strong>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.</p>