Objective: To test 3 foliar Boron products currently available in the market to see if there is an agronomic, quality or yield response.
2015 Sites:
- AAFC Lacombe
- AAFC Beaverlodge
- WARC Scott
- Manitoba TBD
Experimental design: RCBD with 4 replicates - 5 treatments x 4 reps = 20 plots
Pre-burn:
- Glyphosate at 900g a.e./ha or CleanStart if volunteers are a problem, evaluate what weeds are present
- If there is NO need for pre-burn please contact your assigned agronomist for further discussion/evaluation
- A weed density count will be required during crop emergence inspection where a pre-burn wasn’t applied
Soil Samples:
- Get a detailed analysis from 0-6”, and N, S and Cl from 6-12” (or 24” if you can) each year
- The detailed analysis needs to include N,P,K,S, micro’s, pH, Organic Matter, C.E.C, and texture
- If you’ve already submitted the sample, check with the lab as they usually keep them and can re-run tests
- For consistency, all samples are to be submitted to EXOVA in Edmonton for analysis
Treatments (see below):
- Check (no Boron applied)
- Boron (Nexus) at 5% flowering – RATE - 1L/ac
- MicroBolt B (Alpine) 4-6 leaf - RATE – 0.75 L/ac
- SuperB (Omex) at 5% flowering - RATE - 1L/ac
- Boron (Nexus) with fungicide 30% bloom - RATE - 1L/ac
Variety: Any variety
Seeding Rate: 100 seeds/m2
Fertilizer:
- Based on soil test recommendation for NPKS for a target yield at your location
- If soil test does not recommend any S, apply 10 kg/ha. Do not apply elemental S.
- Do not apply more than 20 kg/ha of actual P with the seed
Seeding Date: Early May
Herbicides: Apply at the 2 - 3 leaf stage with additional application if needed (before budding)
Fungicide: Spray for sclerotinia or other diseases unless drought conditions are prevailing
Insecticide: Spray if pest insects exceed acceptable thresholds (to be determined at each site)
Please keep accurate records of applications, dates, rates, procedures, problems and other observations. Send data and Materials & Methods to Nicole Philp (philpn@canolacouncil.org)
MANDATORY Treatments and PER PLOT Data Collection (ALL SITES):
- Record Site Data:
- Previous crop
- Moisture conditions at seeding
- Depth of seeding (actual, not targeted)
- Seeding date
- Soil temperature at seeding
- Amount and time of rainfall events
- Yield target for the fertilizer recommendations (in consultation with CCC Agronomists)
- Other field notes [e.g. hail, insect and disease damage, weed problems, flooding (identify specific plots)]
- Crop emergence counts:
- 2 weeks after emergence (i.e. 2 weeks after first visible rows)
- 2 rows x 1 meter x 2 spots (diagonally) in each plot, avoid outside rows, count 1 m in from front and back of plot)
- Apply Alpine Boron at 4-6 leaf. Record crop stage, application date and time and any other observations
- Vigour ratings (5-6 leaf stage (~ 2.0-2.5 weeks after emergence or 1.0-1.5 weeks prior to bolting)
- Assess visually using 1 to 9 score
- 9 – Excellent (assigned rarely) – looks like highly vigorous and productive hybrid
- 8-7 – two degrees of Good
- 6-5 – two degrees of Average – Check is scored as “average”
- 4-3 – two degrees of Bad
- 2-1 – two degrees of Very Bad – looks like a weak inbred line
- One score per plot
- Have more than one person take the same notes (due to subjectivity of visual notes)
- Make assessments for the entire experiment at the same time (same day)
- DO NOT adjust the score to the stand (i.e. assess “the average development stage of a plant on each plot”, NOT the “total biomass per plot”)
- Plot reference picture at 20% flower:
- Take a reference picture of each plot (whole plot) – take around mid-day when sun is high (or it is cloudy)
- Make sure the plot # is in the plot picture
- Apply Nexus Boron and Omex SuperB at 5% flowering. Record age, application date and time and any other observations.
- Apply a fungicide overspray on all plots unless drought conditions prevail
- Maturity Date: on Mon., Wed. and Fri. (record in Julian days) to determine time of swathing
- Access several plants, the top of the main stem are still green, but firm; seeds in the middle pods are just changing color (tan, brown); and the seeds in the bottom pods have changed color.
- a couple of outside branches need to be looked at when checking for maturity
- More info visit: /agronomic_publications.aspx or see attached facts sheets.
- Record swath date.
- Record harvest date.
- Plot Grain Yield & % moisture: (whole plot) & subsample (approx. 1 kg):
- clean a large enough subsample for quality analysis and for a true canola yield ((dirty – clean)/dirty)
- Seed MUST be clean with < 5% weeds, cracks and no chaff – we use a clipper which works very well
- % Oil, % Protein, % Green, and 1000 kwt
- Provide a clean sample from each plot (cleavers need to be removed)
- Need 100g from the cleaned subsample: from each plot put in a 4.5 x 7 tuck envelope and send samples pre-paid to Patty Reid in Lacombe
- Tuck Envelopes available at: Spear Envelope Company (952-545-7124)
Patty Reid/Larry Michielsen
Lacombe Research Centre
6000 C&E Trail
Lacombe, AB T4L 1W1
(Phone: 403-782-8891)
- Sample must be labeled correctly:
- Label needs to include trial name, trial number, name (i.e. Lacombe75-2014), location, year, treatment and plot #
- Include the randomization and/or field plans with the samples