Take Home Messages
- InVigor® R 4520P was in the top three GT varieties in all regions, Nuseed Hunter performed well in the North Central and Mallee, and Pioneer® 44Y30 in the Mallee and Wimmera.
- Pioneer® 44Y94 showed adaptability across regions, being the highest yielding in Mallee, Wimmera and North Central NVTs.
- There was more variability in TT variety performance, but a good mix of OP and Hybrid varieties represented.
- Newer OP TT varieties are offering yield gains on older genetics and becoming more comparable to hybrids but still in most cases don’t quite match top hybrids.
- Stacked technologies and TruFlex™ RR lines offer wider opportunities for weed management provided they are selected on the basis of weed control needs.
Aim
To assess the performance of existing and emerging canola varieties in the Mallee, North Central and Wimmera GRDC-funded NVT trials in 2022.
Background
Canola variety options change regularly, which can make it hard to recommend what to grow. NVT data provides a snapshot in time, and ability to look at available herbicide tolerances and how varieties perform in different regions. This article will present the results from Mallee, North Central and Wimmera canola NVTs for the 2022 season. As single year results, they should only be considered in the context of the season we experienced. Growers should identify suitable varieties not solely on yield, but also the benefits the package offers to your cropping program. Canola can be a valuable tool for managing weed concerns by choosing the right herbicide tolerance package, as well as considering yield.
Trial Details
Crop type: Canola
Target plant density: 40 plants/m² Mallee, 50 plants/m2 Wimmera.
Seeding equipment: Knife points, press wheels, 30cm row spacing
Sowing date: Birchip 21 April 2022, Hopetoun 26 April 2022, Charlton 22 April 2022, Diggora 25 April 2022, Horsham 22 April 2022, Kaniva 10 May 2022
Replicates: Three
Location Details
Trial Inputs
Fertiliser: Granulock® Supreme Z + Flutriafol (200ml/100kg) @ 60kg/ha
Seed Treatment: EverGol* @ 260mL/100kg and Gaucho @ 240mL/100kg
Trial managed as per best practice for herbicides, insecticides and fungicides.
Method
This summary was undertaken using yield data obtained from the NVT online website. These trials are intended to be managed to maximise genetic potential yields, rather than profitability, so they receive multiple fungicide applications and are managed to ensure they are not nitrogen limited. This is to ensure there are no confounding factors when assessing the genetic potential of these varieties. For a location ie. Mallee, the sites that were represented in that region were averaged and results are presented as percentage of region mean. Individual site results can be found on the NVT website under individual season trial results.
Results & Interpretation
Mallee
Favourable conditions throughout the season, with many regions registering decile 10, resulted in good canola yields in Mallee NVT trials, with mean yields between 2.96t/ha and 3.23t/ha (Figure 1). While not shown in the presented data, the Hopetoun site was exceptional, with some yields exceeding 4t/ha, while the Birchip site experienced a dry July and respectable yields of about 2.5t/ha. Both sites were sown into good moisture and received follow up rain, allowing for excellent establishment.
Pioneer® 44Y30 was the top yielding GT (glyphosate tolerant) line however, there was little difference between the first four varieties, with Nuseed Hunter TF, InVigor® R 4520P and Nuseed Raptor TF all exceeding the site mean of 3.23t/ha.
Limited entries of Imidazolinone tolerant (IT) varieties yielded well (3.22t/ha), with the top performing variety Pioneer® 44Y94 considerably higher yielding than other varieties in the trial. This performance should be considered carefully — while the variety is advertised as having wide adaptability, it has not been trialled in Mallee NVT before and was able to capitalise on top end yield potential in the favourable conditions. It has a mid-early maturity and would be interesting to watch in a tougher finish.
In the Triazine tolerant (TT) varieties the hybrid varieties HyTTec® Trident and HyTTec® Trophy were the top two performers at 114 per cent and 112 per cent of site mean. The top performing open pollinated variety was Renegade TT at 106 per cent of site mean. Results from 2022 suggest better genetics than ATR Bonito may be coming through and growers should look for opportunities to select for better yielding options that suit their environment and system.
North Central
The North Central region also had good opening rains and full profiles of moisture from good summer rainfall in some eastern parts. This was ideal for timely canola establishment and setting of good yield potential. North Central yields were good, however hail damage occurred in some areas. Across the Charlton and Diggora sites representing the North Central region, average yields for GT, IT and TT herbicide groups were 3.44t/ha, 3.13t/ha and 3t/ha (Figure 2).
InVigor® R 4520P was the highest yielding GT line, followed by Nuseed Hunter TF. They were the only commercial lines to exceed the site mean for the North Central region. It should be noted some shattering was recorded at the Diggora site after hailstorms. Varieties with PodGuard® traits, such as the InVigor lines, would have stood up to it better than lines that were quick in maturity and more brittle at the time of the event ie Nuseed Emu TF.
The limited number of Imidazolinone tolerant (IT) varieties yielded well (3.13t/ha). The top performing variety Pioneer® 44Y94 was considerably higher yielding than other varieties in the trial. The consistent performance in this season across environments makes it a variety to consider where the IT system is needed for weed control or residue management.
In the Triazine tolerant (TT) varieties, the hybrid varieties RGT Baseline TT and SF Dynatron TT™ were the top two performers at 123 per cent and 119 per cent of site mean. The top performing open pollinated variety was Renegade TT at 113 per cent of site mean, whereas other open pollinated TTs were 104 per cent of site mean or lower. ATR Bonito, a variety released in 2013, is now being challenged by a renewed effort in the development of open pollinated TT varieties, suggesting growers keen to retain seed should identify whether these suit.
North Central
The season start in the Wimmera regions was mixed. While parts of the central and southern Wimmera received summer rain and a decent break in April, those in the west Wimmera had to wait until May for opening rains. Many crops were sown dry and into limited moisture, which is less than ideal for canola. The later start was offset by a cool and favourable spring, however some areas received more rain than necessary –, resulting in waterlogged and severely lodged canola crops — causing harvest delays and some quality issues. Wimmera yields were reasonable, however there was isolated hail damage, including at the Minmay NVT site. The Horsham and Kaniva sites were harvested and varieties in the GT, IT and TT herbicide groups averaged 2.90t/ha, 2.76/h and 2.71t/ha (Figure 3).
InVigor® R 4520P was the highest yielding GT line followed by Pioneer® 44Y30, Nuseed Raptor TF and DG Hotham TF, which were the only commercial lines to exceed the site mean for the Wimmera region. Hyola® Garrison XC, a stacked herbicide canola option with glyphosate and imidazolinone tolerance, performed poorly in Wimmera trials at 75 per cent of average site mean.
Pioneer® 44Y94 again topped the Imidazolinone tolerant (IT) varieties. This was no surprise, given the seasonal conditions and its versatility across environments. Many regions had similar rainfall and environmental conditions, reducing variability in variety performance across medium and low rainfall environments. Pioneer® PY520TC is represented in both the IT and TT results having both herbicide traits. Stacked herbicide varieties offer flexibility for weed control where problems are identified in the case of resistance or rotation of herbicide groups. In many cases, these varieties do not currently top the trials of their herbicide groups, but demand consideration as a rotational tool for dealing with on farm issues that single herbicide group options can not.
Interestingly in the Triazine tolerant (TT) varieties, two open pollinated varieties DG BIDGEE TT and Renegade TT topped the region average yield, at almost 110 per cent of site mean. This was unexpected in a season such as 2022 but can be explained by a couple of factors. Kaniva had a late start, and was generally a drier environment for the season — including during the spring — whereas Horsham had an earlier break, and softer finish. Individually, Shorter season TT lines such as Hyola Blazer TT and HyTTec® Trophy performed well at Kaniva, whereas longer season varieties such as RGT Baseline TT and InVigor® T610 performed better at Horsham. They were followed by DG BIDGEE TT and Renegade TT which came out on top across the two sites. Open pollinated varieties are not considered as often for these higher yielding environments because hybrid yield gains often make adoption more likely. It is however encouraging to see these varieties among the top performers across many locations.
Commercial Practice and On Farm Profitability
When germination opportunities and significant subsoil moisture are present, canola can be a very profitable crop to the rotation, but still carries considerable risk. This was certainly experienced in 2022, between input prices, establishment, pests, high disease pressure, and inclement and destructive weather. While it is an expensive commodity, canola has many rotational benefits that can be recouped in the following season, such as a disease and weed break.
With new canola varieties constantly entering the market, it can be difficult to choose a suitable variety. The decision of which variety to grow should involve a number of key considerations. It is important to match the phenology response of a variety to the environment in which it is grown. Since completion of the phenology project, there is an increased focus on making sure canola flowering doesn’t start too late, to maximise yield by having a prolonged flowering period and reduction in exposure to heat, particularly in drier climates.
There is also a need to understand which herbicide technology best fits the system. By understanding the weeds, resistance status and best products for management, canola becomes a valuable tool for strong weed breaks. A number of stacked tolerance options, allowing the use of more than one herbicide technology give growers greater flexibility to manage problematic weeds with GT + IT, IT + TT, GT + IT and LL + TT lines available. LibertyLink® (LL) is a new option. InVigor® LT 4530P has the PodGuard® trait and allows growers to use LibertyLink® herbicide and triazine herbicide. It may offer some increased flexibility in systems where the use of GT is compromised by resistance and needs to be managed as a GM crop.
There is increasing interest in TF (TruFlex™) varieties, as they add flexibility to glyphosate application up until flowering time compared to non TruFlex™ varieties where the limit for spraying is six leaf. This offers the opportunity to manage later season weeds or allow slightly longer intervals in a two-spray strategy.
Choosing between an open-pollinated variety and a hybrid variety with TT systems is another key consideration. In the past, OP varieties have been regarded as lower yielding and better for systems where retained seed was a consideration to mitigate some cost risk (often in lower rainfall environments). But trials in 2022 suggested there are emerging genetics that make some OP varieties competitive with hybrids. Basing these decisions on one season’s results is not recommended, but it is food for thought.
Grain quality data from NVT trials at the time of compiling this report was not available.
Some information on varieties in 2022 trial is presented in Table 2.
Due to the variability of yield often seen across the Mallee, growers tend to choose open-pollinated varieties because of the vast savings in seed cost. OP varieties are around 10 per cent of the price of hybrid varieties. A rule of thumb is 0.1t/ha increase in grain yield is needed for hybrids to be more profitable than OP varieties.
It is important to keep updating canola varieties as older varieties do not have the genetic yield potential of newer varieties. This is particularly true if you have open pollinated varieties such as ATR Bonito, which is now 10 years old. Keep looking to alternatives and assess their performance and fit in your system to maximise yield and returns.
The price received by growers is affected by oil concentration, however at the time of writing grain quality results for this trial were not available.
References
GRDC2023_SowingGuide_VIC-TAS_Final.pdf, https://grdc.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/580580/GRDC2023_SowingGuide_VIC-TAS_Final.pdf.
Trial results | NVT (grdc.com.au), https://nvt.grdc.com.au/trial-results/?year=2022&date_range=0101,3112.
The 10 key lessons from the Optimised Canola Profitability project – GRDC, https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2020/02/the-10-key-lessons-from-the-optimised-canola-profitability-project.
Acknowledgements
This research was conducted through the National Variety Trial (NVT) program delivered by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
