08/02/06 Winter canola research

Farm and Ranch August 2, 2006 For the low rainfall, wheat-summer fallow area of the inland northwest, winter canola is the oilseed scientists say farmers could grow as a feedstock for a biodiesel industry. Don Wysocki, Extension soil scientist at the Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center near Pendleton, says the winter variety Athena, developed by the University of Idaho, was developed for these dry areas. It's suitable for later planting providing a better chance to hit seed zone moisture and avoid heat blast when seeds are about to emerge. Wysocki says they are looking at some other strategies for winter canola too. Wysocki: "We are looking at seed priming, which is soaking the seed before planting to try and get more rapid emergence and maybe be able to seed in less marginal water conditions in the seed zone." Wider row spacing is also being looked at. Wysocki: "Typically we've thought of planting like we do cereals but there is more recent information that suggests we can go to wider rows that we would on cereals and still maintain yield." The canola will branch out and researchers are looking at going to 20 inch, 25 inch, even up to 28 inch row spacing. Wysocki says that will mean later canopy closure which can create problems like weed control but he says if stand establishment is the critical issue; Wysocki" "If we can't get the stand established then weed control and those other things aren't really and issue because we are not growing the crop. " I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.