Maximize Canola Yield at Seeding!

Doing a great job of seeding is the surest route to success for your 2026 canola crop. Most of your planning has already been pre-determined: crop rotation, selecting the right hybrid(s), and choosing a seed treatment. Successful stand establishment is influenced by a number of factors. Taking the time to review your seeding basics now is the best investment you can make in your canola crop, likely at no additional cost.

DEPTH MATTERS

Having worked in canola extension for more than a decade, growers are surprised when I tell them “Slow down and seed shallow” is still the best advice I can give. Some conditions and opener setups allow higher seeding speeds, but most fields benefit from moderate to slower ground speeds. Recommended seeding depth remains 0.5 to 1 inch deep for canola, with some recent research indicating 1.25 inches as an optimal depth.

The issue, however, is not just knowing the correct seeding depth. It is achieving it uniformly across each field. Seeds placed shallower than a half-inch may pick up moisture but can dry out quickly and die in this “kill zone”. Seed placed too deep struggles or fails to emerge at all.

We’ve all heard that “good seed to soil contact in a warm, moist seedbed” is the goal, but as a farmer, you can’t grow a crop without getting seed in the ground.

FACTORS REDUCING ESTABLISHMENT

• Crusting
• Trash
• Soil movement into furrows
• Flea beetle feeding
• Frost

Focus on doing the best job possible with seed placement and packing.

CHECK YOUR SEEDER

Optimize what you can control. Ensure the seeder is level front to back and side to side. Check opener wear, seed placement, and packing pressure.

Initial depth can be set at slow speeds over short distances, but always stop and verify seed placement from a pass completed at full operating speed. Soil thrown from front openers can be problematic in shallow-seeded crops like canola. Early-season checks for uniform emergence can help identify seeder adjustments before seeding is complete for the year.

Seed-placed fertilizer with canola should be limited to safe rates of phosphate, typically 40 lb/ac or less of 11-52-0-0, depending on opener design and row spacing. While higher fertility may help the crop compensate for early injury, research consistently shows that seed-placed fertilizer can reduce emergence. Seed costs remain one of the highest inputs in canola production, so avoid sacrificing stand establishment to fertilizer burn.

You can check the safety of your seed placement by:

1. Shutting off your seed placed fertilizer in a few spots while seeding.
2. Checking the crop over the next few weeks in these areas.
3. If the crop emergence looks better in these areas, seed damage from fertilizer is likely occurring and should be managed in the future.

TARGET THE RIGHT PLANT STAND

Target canola plant stand establishment of 5 to 8 plants per ft² (InVigor 5-7) by planting 10 or more seeds per ft². Unless historic plant counts with your seeder indicate otherwise, or you have great seedbed conditions, assume an estimated emergence of about 60%.

Non-uniform stands are a real concern, as canola yield tends to be optimized with over 5 plants/ft². Uniform stands of 2 plants per ft² are generally kept rather than recommended for reseeding, but this low of a plant stand causes concerns with weed control, later maturity and potentially reduced yields.

EARLY GROWTH GOALS

A useful rule of thumb is to reach the 3 to 4 leaf stage within 3 to 4 weeks to help avoid flea beetle pressure or other establishment issues. A slow growing, struggling crop is more likely under dry, cold conditions.

For canola it is recommended to have a three-day average temp of 5°C or more at seeding depth with a warming weather forecast, once the danger of spring frost has passed. Getting the crop seeded, and growing vigorously is always goal #1.

Questions about agronomy? Keith would be happy to help.
Reach him at keith@albertacanola.com or 587-377-0557.

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