Optimising Plant Establishment 2021 Roseworthy Canola Weed Competition Experiment

<p dir="ltr">Data from the 2021 crop establishment trial at Roseworthy, SA. The trial aimed to examine weed competition on canola establishment when the canola was sown at different target densities, under a conventional cone seeder and under a precision seeder. The experiment was run under the UOA1803-009RTX GRDC research project led and managed by the University of Adelaide.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Files:</strong>2021 Roseworthy canola.xlsx</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Experiment setup:</strong>The trial was organised as a randomised complete block design with 24 treatments (factorial combinations of: cone vs precision seeder, target density (10, 20, 40, 50 plants/m2), and three densities of sown competitional ryegrass/barley (Nil, 100 and 200)), arranged spatially in two columns containing 2 replicates each, for a total of 96 plots. The establishment of the weeds (rygrass/barley) was very poor however, and there was essentially no weed competition throughout the trial.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Variables recorded:</strong>establishment count (plants/m2), interplant distance (cm), NDVI, bird damage (m), yield (t/ha), 500-seed weight, seeds/m2</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Data collection and assessment:</strong>The paddock was sown on 31/05/2021, with competitional annual ryegrass sown on 01/06/2021. However, the ryegrass germination appeared to have failed by 22/06/2021, so barley was sown instead. On 28/06/2021 plant establishment counts for the canola crop were taken across 2 rows x 3 metres, with plant emergence counts made on a third row on 08/07/2021. Interplant distances were also measured on 08/07/2021. By 08/07/2021 the barley seed had not germinated yet, so barley was resown in the plots on 13/07/2021. NDVI measurements were made 4 separate times, on 05/08/2021, 12/08/2021, 19/08/2021 and 24/08/2021. On 24/11/2021 visual assessment was made of bird damage within the plots, assessed as an estimated length (in metres) of the plot that was affected. At harvest on 02/12/2021 the grain yield (t/ha) and 500-seed weight were measured.</p>