Science Edition - Research Driven

Ultimate Canola Challenge: Does more N pay?

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The Ultimate Canola Challenge, brainchild of the Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialists, has the objective to challenge growers to obtain higher yields and profitability. What started out as small-plot research has evolved into on-farm testing of new products and practices so growers can test new ideas on their farm.

For 2016 and 2017, UCC trials on farms across Western Canada tested the return on investment for increasing the recommended nitrogen (N) rate by 25 per cent.

Results

Nitrogen trials were repeated in 2017 after a limited number of sites were harvested in 2016. Of 14 trials seeded in 2016, only six were harvested. Of those six, all saw increased yield with 25 per cent more N but only three were statistically significant. That is not enough to draw a conclusion on whether the extra N investment could pay off. Results for 2017, when collected and analyzed, will be posted at ultimatecanolachallenge.ca.

How to generate good data

UCC nitrogen trials follow these guiding principles for good
data generation:

  • Increase only nitrogen (N) rates, not other nutrient rates.
    This is important for a true N comparison.
  • Replicate the check strip and treatment at least 4 times throughout the field, and randomize the strips.
  • The area for the trial should be as uniform as possible. Avoid headlands, field edges and waterways.
  • Any disease, weed or insect control must be applied perpendicular to the direction of seeding.
  • Ensure each plot is wider than swather/straight cut header that is to be used at harvest to ensure treatments aren’t mixed. At minimum, a 2’ buffer should be left on each side of the plot.
  • Use a weigh wagon to measure results for each strip separately.

Full trial protocols (which provide guidelines for accurate on-farm comparisons) and summaries of past results going back to 2013 are available at ultimatecanolachallenge.ca