Trial Name: 2021 Flea Beetle Herbivory in Canola Impacted by Seed Size, Seeding Date and Seeding Rate
Description
The Canola Council of Canada advises that canola should be sown with high seeding densities and preferably using larger seed size (up to 2.2mm). Moreover, seeding later in the season should be considered rather than seeding on earlier dates. Briefly, greater plant densities produced by high seeding rates compensate for flea beetle leaf damage. More tolerant seedlings to flea beetles have been observed to be affected by seed size and canola sown mid-May to early-June. Late sown less affected by flea beetle damage than canola seeded in late-April to early-May. Currently, there is limited research showing how all these recommendations, acting in conjunction, affect canola production. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the impact of seeding rate, seed size, and seeding date on flea beetle damage and populations. Furthermore, a split-plot factor analysis will also allow us to examine interaction effects between seeding rate, seed size and seeding date. Further insight on interactions effects will allow us to measure the true flea beetle response to these recommendations, and provide new recommendations based on these possible interactions.
The objective is to evaluate the impact on flea beetle leaf damage and flea beetle population of seeding date (late-April to early-May and second to third week of May), seed size (small, large and unsorted), and seeding rate (112,56 and 168 plant m-2)
Project Details:
- Seeding Date (late-April to early-May, or a three-day soil temperature average of 5C, and second to third week of May, or 10C average soil temperature)
- Seed Size (small 1.4-1.7mm, large 1.8-2.2 mm, and unsorted)
- Seeding Rate (56 plants/sq. m., the recommended 112 plants/sq. m., and 168 plants/sq. m.)
- May 16 – RT 540 (0.66 L/ac)
- May 17 – 46-0-0-0 (140 lb/ac) and 13-33-0-15S (100 lb/ac)
- Jun. 10 – Roundup Transorb HC (0.66 L/ac)
- Oct. 01 – Liberty 150 SN (1.4 L/ac)