Digging into Research
For this study conducted in southern Alberta on irrigated and dryland plots, the precision planter with 12 inch spacing increased seedling emergence and plant stand density compared to an air drill on 12-inch spacing or precision planter with 20 inch spacing — as long as...
Seed wheat as soon as feasible after soil temperatures reach 0C, and prior to soils reaching 7.5–10C, with an optimal seeding rate of 40 seeds/ft2, and at a shallow seeding depth. Ultra-early seeded wheat increased grain yield and stability compared to current seeding practices. Using...
Wider row spacing in wheat is possible – up to 16 inches – but producers need to monitor their plant density to ensure they are reaching an adequate stand establishment to achieve optimum yield, especially since all seeding equipment may not maintain separation of seed...
Large seed and shallow seeding independently improved organic barley and oat production. In organic production, pre-seeding tillage is an important weed management strategy, however this can cause drier seeding conditions. To compensate, greater seeding depths are often used, which may reduce crop performance. A 2-year research project...
Niger grain yield increased linearly by 18% with increasing nitrogen rates. Seeding depths down to one inch (2.5 cm) allowed placement of seed into soil moisture to support emergence and optimize yield. Niger is an open-pollinated oilseed crop, and was domesticated in Ethiopia. While niger is...
Placing phosphate fertilizer in the seed row has its challenges because seed damage can occur at fairly low rates. Rather than short the crop with a low seed-placed rate, this study found that the full recommended rate placed outside the seed row is the better...
Seeding a tall cultivar at 80 seeds/ft2 in early May along with the application of an in-crop wild oat herbicide resulted in the greatest stand establishment and crop biomass, as well as the lowest weed biomass in flax. Flax is a poor competitor with weeds, and...
Two research studies investigated best management practices for winter wheat stand establishment at 26 sites over three years across western Canada. A strong, integrated agronomic system with high seed rate near 40 plants per square foot, a dual fungicide/insecticide seed treatment, and vigorous seed provided...
Seeding large seeded oats improved early season oat biomass by 16% and 29% at two locations in eastern Saskatchewan. Large seeded oats also improved wild oat competition and resulted in 4 days earlier maturity. Yield was 8% higher at one site with large seed. Field trials...
Spatially uniform plant stands increased canola yield by up to 32 per cent at low-yielding sites and by up to 21 per cent at high yielding sites compared to non-uniform plant stands. Research by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist Yantai Gan shows the importance of...
