Optimising Plant Establishment 2021 Hart Canola Experiment

Data from the 2021 crop establishment trial at Hart, SA. The trial compared the establishment of Hyola 350TT canola at different seeding rates, under two different times of sampling, and under 5 different seeders (conventional and precision seeders). 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:2021 Hart Canola.xlsx

Experiment setup:Experiment managed locally by the Hart Field-Site Group. The trial was organised as a split-split plot design, with the time of sampling as the whole plot treatment (13/05/2021 vs 27/05/2021), 5 different seeder types as the subplot treatment (Conventional Disc seeder, Conventional Tyne seeder, Precision Disc seeder, Precision Tyne seeder, and Perfect Placement), and the seeding rate as the sub-subplot treatment factor (15, 25, 35, 45 seeds/m2). The design was arranged spatially in two columns and 48 rows, 4 replicates, for 96 plots total. Buffer rows separated the 13/05/2021 time-of-sowing plots from the 27/05/2021 time-of-sowing plots. The variety of canola sown for the trial was Hyola 350TT.

Variables recorded:establishment count (plants/m2), interplant distance (cm), seedling depth (mm), NDVI, podding biomass fresh weight (g), podding biomass dry weight (g), podding biomass dry matter (t/ha), harvest index, yield (t/ha), 1000 grain weight (g), oil (%), moisture (%)

Data collection and assessment:The paddock was seeded with the first time-of-sowing group on 13/05/2021 (with only a precision disc seeder used), and the paddock was seeded with the second time-of-sowing group later on 27/05/2021 (28/05/2021 for the Conventional Tyne seeder). The Perfect Placement treatments were implemented at a rate of 135 seeds/m2 to facilitate the accuracy of an ideally-spaced target density. Emergence counts were made on 16/06/2021, 22/06/2021 and 28/06/2021, counted twice for each plot and averaged. Interplant distances were measured in cm for each plot, and seedling depths were measured across 10 seedlings for the Tyne seeder treatments and the Disc seeder treatments. NDVI readings were made on 22/06/2021, 02/07/2021 and 23/07/2021. Podding biomass cuts were made on 23/09/2021, and the fresh weight, dry weight and dry matter weight recorded. The harvest index cuts were made on 05/11/2021. At harvest on 10/11/2021, the yield (in t/ha), oil content, moisture content and 1000 grain weight (in g) were recorded for all plots.