BREEDERS had initially thought that dual purpose grain and graze canola lines in Australia would have a fit as an autumn sown crop. However, researchers have found that this approach may not necessarily have a fit in Australia, due to our uncertain autumn break.
Annieka Paridaen, research agronomist with Southern Farming Systems (SFS) said even in high rainfall zones there was not necessarily an early enough break to get the long season dual purpose canola varieties adequate time to finish.
Grain and Graze co-ordinator Cam Nicholson agreed.
“It may well be an opportunistic crop option in the years where we get an early enough break, but if we don’t get a break until May the varieties may struggle to finish,” Mr Nicholson said.
But this does not mean agronomists in the high rainfall zones of southern Australia are abandoning the idea of dual purpose winter canolas.
The vernalisation requirement of the winter canola lines means it could be planted in late spring as a summer fodder crop.
Trial data showed the canola could provide good fodder over the summer should there be sufficient late spring and summer rainfall.
The vernalisation requirement means the crops will not flower until they get a solid cold snap, which means the crops can be grazed back and then treated as a grain crop from autumn.
And while growers may be concerned about a lack of rainfall over summer, the results this year have shown the crop is surprisingly tough.
“We’ve had a bone dry summer, but following some March rainfall, most of the crop responded, so it looks like it will get through a dry summer, although obviously there won’t be the feed value growers are hoping for,” Ms Paridaen said.
The trial results from 2011/12 found that the plants from the winter canola were much more robust than the autumn sown seedlings.
“We didn't see the same amount of damage from slugs and other insect pests in the mature, but eaten back, canola plants that we did with the seedlings.”
Researchers feel it may be the best way for growers to utilise high protein canola as a dual purpose crop.
All work done with grazing canola planted at the traditional time found there was a strong grain yield penalty when the crops were grazed.
“Spring sowing canola isn’t going to take over, but it could have a niche application,” Mr Nicholson said.
Gregor Heard
National grains writer for Fairfax Agricultural Media.
National grains writer for Fairfax Agricultural Media.
