Canola quality issues and future R&D focus Don McCaffery Technical Specialist NSW DPI Orange Presentation title – Presenter name(s) – Division – Date
Canola oil quality challenges Seasonal variability –Spring moisture stress and/or heat during podfill Yield, oil % –Weather damage 2010 – wet harvest – low test weights 2013 – frost
Ave. state oil%
Grower objectives Weed control Yield Rotation & system fit –root & crown disease control –maturity for operational & harvest efficiency Oil content - only quality parameter paid for –no payment for protein –oil inverse relationship with protein
Australian Quality 20 Year Trend
Yield vs oil in profitability % $500 t/ha = $1,000/ha gross Increase yield by 5% (no extra oil) = $1,050/ha Increase oil by say 3% (no extra yield) = $1,023/ha 5% yield is a lot easier to achieve than 3% oil Highest oil lines currently are RR –Standard and high oleic specialty types
National Variety Trial 2013 Example
Nitrogen effects on yield and oil Single most important nutrient in canola productivity
Specialty – high oleic/low linolenic Market driven 3 crushers, 2 seed companies –MONOLA and Victory lines Demand ?..... Growing –Currently 5-6% Quality (fatty acid content) apparently stable across environments 2013 tests on NVT line –Oleic acid content Bellata 66.5%; Condo 67.3%; Lockhart 66.9%
Recent and future research Targeting yield, not specifically targeting oil content or quality parameters Agronomy/VSAP projects –Quality data collected on a range of agronomic experimental treatments –Variety-hybrid, sowing time, plant population, crop nutrition (mostly N), row spacing National Variety Trial data since 2005
New canola physiology-agronomy project Across 3 states – NSW, Vic and SA (similar in WA) Physiology/modelling and tactical agronomy trials –5-6 sites in NSW + phenology –Assessing early sowing to maximise yield and oil Harvest management (northern NSW only) –Pattern of yield and oil formation –Plant population, hybrid vs OP, windrow vs direct head
Questions