By Karen Sowers, WSU Extension
RICHLAND, Wash. – Record or near-record canola yields are expected this year in eastern Washington and the video below shows a crop near Odessa being pushed into tight rows for gradual ripening before harvest in about a week.
Meanwhile, tours of six canola variety trials at three large-scale farms near Fairfield, St. John and Davenport, Wash., were held in late June. Participants observed readily apparent differences in flowering, plant height, weed control and variety height at the locations.
The Washington State University-based Washington State Oilseed Cropping Systems project partnered with Viterra, Inc. on the trials with a range of soil types, soil pH, rainfall and elevation between the farms. The varieties represent the options available to growers depending on specific needs for residual herbicide tolerance, weed control or a change in herbicide chemistry.
Aaron Esser, Bill Pan, Dennis Roe and Karen Sowers from the WOCS project team are gathering data throughout the season including plant population, days to flowering, yield, weed and pest pressure and oil content and quality.
The video is by Sowers, WSU Extension oilseed and outreach specialist in Richland, Wash.
