This latest canola variety information to assist Western Australian grain growers with planting decisions for 2017 is now available.
The Department of Agriculture and Food’s 2017 Canola variety guide for Western Australia provides a comparison of yield, oil and blackleg resistance for commercially available varieties.
Canola production continues to be strong, with a WA harvest of 1.74 million tonnes expected this season according to the latest crop report from the Grain Industry Association of WA.
In 2015, triazine tolerant (TT) varieties accounted for the majority of canola grown in WA, at 72 per cent, while the area sown to Roundup Ready® (RR) canola expanded to 24 per cent.
Department canola development officer Jackie Bucat said a new feature of this year’s guide was a table summary of the highest yielding varieties in WA National Variety Trials.
“Growers can get a snapshot of which varieties are highest yielding for half-tonne yield ranges between 0.5 and 2.5 t/ha, and also for shorter or longer season environments,” Ms Bucat said.
“For open pollinated TT varieties, ATR Mako and ATR Bonito are widely adapted yield leaders across low and high yielding crops as well as in shorter and longer season environments. ATR Stingray is also competitive in areas with expected yields less than 2t/ha.
“For Hybrid TT varieties, Hyola® 559TT is widely adapted across high and low yielding crops with high yields, high oil and its blackleg resistance rating was recently revised upwards to resistant.
“New varieties which have proven to be competitive for yield and are also widely adapted are SF Turbine TT, DG 560TT and 44T02 TT.”
The new TT+RR hybrid variety 3000TR is competitive with Hyola 525RT, where it was tested in shorter season environments.
Ms Bucat said for the RR varieties, the current varieties Pioneer 43Y23 and 44Y24 were widely adapted across environments and in high and low yielding situations.
“Hyola® 404RR also among yield leaders for crops less than 2t/ha - it has high oil and the blackleg resistance rating was recently revised up to resistant,” she said.
“New variety Nuseed GT-53 also has competitive yields for longer season areas, and has a desirable resistant blackleg rating.”
Ms Bucat said for the first time a Monola® variety was competitive on a yield basis in WA.
“Monola G11 is among the RR yield leaders for 1-1.5 t/ha range in longer season environments,” she said. “As well as very competitive yields, there is a premium payment.”
For the Clearfield varieties, new varieties 44Y90 (CL) and 45Y91 (CL) are the top yielding varieties in longer season environments.
The Guide was produced by the department’s Tactical Break Crop Agronomy project, which is co-funded by the department and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). Data for the guide was from the GRDC National Variety Trials program as well as the GRDC Blackleg management guide.
The 2017 Canola variety guide for Western Australia is available on the department website.
Media contacts: Jodie Thomson/Katrina Bowers, media liaison +61 (0)8 9368 3937