Optimising Plant Establishment 2020 Rupanyup Canola Experiment

Data from the 2020 crop establishment trial at Rupanyup, VIC. The trial compared the establishment of Canola at different densities, under a conventional cone seeder and under a precision seeder. The experiment was run under the UOA1803-009RTX GRDC research project led by the University of Adelaide, with the experimental trial and data collection managed locally in Rupanyup by the Birchip Cropping Group (BCG).

Files:2020 Birchip Canola.xlsx

Experiment setup:The experiment was mnanaged locally by the Birchip Cropping Group (BCG). The trial was organised as a split plot with 4 treatments of target plant densities (10, 15, 25 and 50 plants/m2), with two different seeders used (conventional cone seeder vs precision seeder), with 6 replicates. This design was embedded in a spatial grid with 12 rows (not including the two buffer rows on the north and south sides) and 4 ranges, for 48 plots total. Note that windy conditions during the sowing caused an uneven distribution for the seeds along the plots, with a "fat" distribution at one end and a "thin" distribution at the other end. These distributions have been scored and are available as a covariate listed in the dataset.

Variables recorded:establishment count (plants/m2), seedling depth (cm), NDVI, biomass weight (g), yield (t/ha), oil (%), moisture (%), protein (%), test weight (kg/hL), seed count (seeds/kg)

Data collection and assessment:Plant establishment was measured using three counts across different pins and rows (Count 1: SW pins, 2nd row from the right; Count 2: Middle pins, 3rd row from the right; Count 3: NE pins, 4th row from the right), with these counts being made on 6 separate occasions between 22/05/2020 and 11/06/2020. Seedling depths in cm were recorded for 10 plants, but at only two treatments. Interplant distances were also measured upon establishment. NDVI measurements were made on 29/07/2020 and again on 23/09/2020. Biomass cuts were taken and weighed at plant Growth Stages 65 and 99. At harvest, the yield in t/ha was recorded for each plot, together with the moisture content, protein content, oil content (corrected to moisture), the test weight, and the seeds/kg.