Agricultural News
2012 Winter Canola Harvest Reported Very Successful
Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:02:59 CDT
Considering planting conditions in 2011, the year of the worst drought on record in the Southern Plains, the winter canola harvest was a good one. According to Gene Neuens, Producers Cooperative Oil Mill oilseed specialist, nearly 175,000 acres of canola were harvested this spring in North Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Nearly 200,000 acres were planted, he said, but some 25,000 acres failed due to continuing drought.
In Texas and southern Oklahoma, yields were from 30 to 35 bushels per acre ranging to more than 40 bushels per acre in northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas, he said.
More than 80 percent of the crop was planted to Roundup Ready varieties of canola enabling producers to better handle weed problems more prevalent than ever due to a mild winter with seasonal rainfall. Those farmers planting conventional varieties of canola had unusually bad weed problems, he said.
Samples taken at PCOM from this year's crop demonstrated good quality canola seed, Neuens said. "Test weights averaged 50 pounds in the field and the oil content averaged 40.9 percent oil, nearly 41 percent," he said.
Winter canola was developed some 12 years ago by a team of Oklahoma State University agronomists under Dr. Tom Peeper. Peeper was seeking a better way to combat perennial weeds in continuously grown winter wheat in the Southern Plains. Growing wheat for decades had introduced dozens of different weeds into the fields which, when harvested with the wheat, caused farmers to receive reduced paychecks for their wheat. Such weeds as cheat grass and rye grew profusely in the fields.
Selecting a spring crop, spring canola, usually grown in the Canadian Prairie Provinces and northern US, crop geneticists changed the crop so it could be grown in the winter the same as winter wheat. Winter canola is a completely different crop than winter wheat. Growing it in rotation with wheat disrupts the growing patterns of the weeds familiar in wheat fields. Canola also has a large taproot, similar to cotton. Growing canola increases soil tilth, breaking up soil pans and loosening the soil so crop roots can better find their way to soil moisture, Neuens said.
Two examples of improved wheat yields following canola this year were given by Neuens. In a field owned by Tillman County farmer Phil Whitworth, winter wheat had averaged 35 bushels an acre for several years. After planting canola in the field, wheat planted there had an average yield of 51 bushels this year, he said.
Another farm located between Lawton and Chickasha had averaged 44 bushels in wheat production for more than 40 years, he said. After planting canola on that farm, winter wheat harvested there averaged 60 bushels per acre, Neuens said.
Winter canola is bringing $12 per bushel now, he said. "Interest in growing winter canola is continuing to grow," he said. "Recently, we met with 40 farmers in northern Kansas who were very enthusiastic about growing canola this fall."
Increased interest in the crop may make availability of seed difficult this year, Neuens said. " We encourage farmers to get in their seed orders early to avoid any problems. We at PCOM are now writing up our production program for the 2012-13 winter canola crop. We encourage farmers to contact us so we can help them make their plans."
Neuens explained one of the best crop insurance programs available last year for crops in the Southern Plains was the one available for winter canola. He believes winter canola acreage will continue to increase. "It is taking its place as an important crop for farmers in our area to consider," he said. "Not only as a cleanup crop for winter wheat, but also as an important money crop for farmers, too."
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Top Agricultural News
More Headlines...
