Canola's role is much bigger than most people appreciate

Additionally, canola, due to its tap root system, can provide profitable crops in difficult seasons when others struggle or fail.

These research and farmer backed conclusions will feature at a series of seminars to be held across NSW.

Leading researchers examining canola will detail management to optimise canola profitability in the crop's various roles (especially grain) and management to maximise profitability.

As NSW DPI agronomist Rohan Brill notes, canola is now well proven to provide high quality hay and silage and has often provided good returns in these past three very difficult years, giving more reason to keep canola in the system.

Head of the NSW DPI feed testing service Richard Meyer, reports growers made healthy profit from canola hay in the dry 2018 season.

Crops that would have harvested less than $300 a hectare grain were made into hay with income closer to $1000/ha.

However, he stressed the importance of timing for quality best value hay, as cutting canola for hay early will improve quality dramatically.,

Mr Meyer said average metabolisable energy (ME) of canola hay in 2018 was 8.6 MJ/kg dry matter (DM), while silage was 9.5.

Importantly, ME ranged from 5.1 to 11.8 MJ/kg DM, with higher energy from earlier cutting.

Average crude protein of canola hay was 14 per cent and 17.1pc for silage.

Rohan Brill and colleagues' research found that hybrids had higher growth rates than open pollinated canola (15-25pc better) and therefore better suited where grazing and hay were considered.

In 2018 trials with dry spring conditions, biomass plateaued from the start of flowering, so there was no advantage in delaying windrowing to obtain more hay.

Another important agronomic factor shown in the research was that where sub-soil water was available, early sowing of hybrids resulted in the highest grain yield (greater rooting depth).

NSW DPI research agronomist Rick Graham, also found that timing was even more critical for grain harvest.

In the past, timing recommendations have been to windrow canola when 40-60pc of seed on the main stem has changed from green to red/brown/black, however, NSW DPI research has shown that up to 80pc of grain yield is on the branches.

Research has shown that when the main stem was at 60pc seed colour change, branches were only 20pc seed colour change - too early for windrowing. By this stage, the main stem will be as high as 80pc seed colour change.

For direct headed crops, the research shows to avoid leaving mature crops standing in the paddock as loss of seed weight can commonly be 10pc or more if harvest is delayed - this is on top of losses from shattering.

Other aspects to be covered at the seminars include; how to match sowing date and variety to flower on time for a given area; what is the critical growth period of canola; how to optimise growth; how to assess windrow timing to get full dollar value; and what agronomic tactics improve canola production.

More information to get the best out of canola will be presented at a series of roadshows from the Optimised Canola Profitability project, visit bit.ly/CanolaRoadshow

Functions will be held at Moree, September 2, Forbes, September 4, Wagga Wagga, September 11 and Mulwala, September 12. Other functions will be held at Birchip, Longerenong and Elmore Victoria, and Cummins and Adelaide, South Australia.

Next week: More phosphorus efficient pastures