The first triazine-tolerant canola variety released by DuPont Pioneer has performed well on the property of Nathan Heckendorf, at “Top Reeds” at Narrandera, in the Riverina region of southern New South Wales.
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Mr Heckendorf said they grew triazine canola as part of their crop options on the property and decided to trial the new Pioneer® variety Sturt TT canola as part of the mix in 2014.
Sturt TT is an earlier-season variety and so was a good option to plant alongside some of the longer-maturing canolas they had grown in the past.
“We are just trying to spread the risk,” Mr Heckendorf said. “Shorter season, just in case you get a dry spring, which has turned out.”
The entire canola crop was sown between April 20 and 25 with good moisture available at seeding.
“It is probably a little bit early for Sturt TT, but being the first time grown the moisture was there so we just took advantage of it and put it in.” A seeding rate of 4 kilograms per hectare was used with the Sturt TT canola sown into wheat stubbles from the previous year. “It got out of the ground really quick and the reason we are doing the four kilos, the high seeding rates, was just for better plant population and more weed control,” Mr Heckendorf said.
Seasonal conditions were quite good through to July, although the property received just 50mm from July until late September which was too late to help the canola.
Mr Heckendorf said the initial yields for Sturt TT were at 1.6 tonnes per hectare which he was reasonably happy with. The final average across the paddock was 1.2 tonnes per hectare.
He said frost damage and the dry conditions certainly affected the yields although Sturt TT did have the advantage of a long flowering period which may have helped.
“It started flowering at the end of July and flowered until the end of August. So it sort of alleviated a bit of the frost damage. It just spreads your risk because if you do get a severe frost, as long as there is good moisture, it will keep flowering.”
The quicker maturity of Sturt TT looks a good option in the area and could suit the dry sowing option.
“Sturt TT’s ideal sowing time for this region is mid-May which would suit because nine times out of ten we are dry sowing canola.
“We always try to have it in by the 25th of April so if we can do that and then sow the Sturt, 10th to the 15th of May, it just gives you that better option. If the moisture is there you’d go a little bit earlier and if not, you’re not taking as big a risk dry-sowing.”
The option of Sturt TT helps spread the risk of frost damage and allows for a different planting date, flowering and harvest.
Capeweed and ryegrass are the main weed issues in canola and the crops received a litre of Treflan and 2.2 kilograms of Simazine/Atrazine, a kilogram of Simazine, 1.2 kilograms of Atrazine and where needed was a follow-up spray with Clethodim at 350 mls per hectare.”
Mr Heckendorf said he would also consider trialling the new Pioneer® brand hybrid Atomic TT triazine canola next season.
