IF a late canola sowing option appeals to growers, adding vital flexibility to cropping program operations, it could now be on the agenda following the excellent performance of a new shorter season, hybrid variety in a large-scale demonstration near Bolgart.
Geoff and Edward Ludemann sowed two hectares to the new IH 30 RR (Roundup Ready) variety on June 9 last season, within a paddock of another RR variety, Hyola 404 (Pacific Seeds), which was sown on May 13.
Similar to most of the State's Wheatbelt, conditions in June were dry and the first major rainfall event for the IH 30 RR production area was not received until early July.
Surprisingly, however, it yielded just 200 kilograms a hectare less than the Hyola 404 at 1.6 tonnes/ha. Canola on the Ludemann's property has traditionally achieved 1-1.5t/ha yields.
"After the late sowing, the IH 30 RR emerged, but it then just sat there,'' Geoff said.
"But it then came on through, cabbaging very well after the rainfall.''
Lester Snooke, Bolgart Rural, was impressed with the variety's quick recovery and yield result.
"It was seeded in early July because there was no rain for the first six weeks after being sown in early June, so it was not ideal at all,'' Lester said.
"I thought it was shot and that it wouldn't produce anything.''
IH 30 RR is one of the varieties from Bayer's hybrid canola range and has similar early maturity to Hyola 404 as well as GT-41 (Nu-Seed) and 43Y23 (Pioneer) varieties.
IH 30 RR is treated with Bayer's premium seed treatment options (Jockey, Stayer and Gaucho) and has a blackleg resistance rating of R-MR (resistant to moderately resistant).
The Ludemann's crop 1000ha of their 2000ha Fernlea property which comprises predominantly loamy soils to wheat, barley, canola, chickpeas and lupins.
Geoff said use of the RoundupReady Plantshield herbicide at 900g/ha, was proving to be a valuable tool against resistant annual ryegrass, wild oats and wild radish populations on some parts of the property.
"We are getting some resistance particularly to clethodim (Group A herbicide), so we are going with the RR canola,'' he said.
"We are also using it as the first cleaning-up crop option after pasture manipulation in long-term pasture paddocks.
"The Roundup Ready Plantshield gives us more complete control than grass selective herbicides.''
A small area in the paddock where there was a blocked spray nozzle this year clearly showed the control benefits offered by the Roundup herbicide technology in the remainder of the crop.
A couple of missed seeding areas also highlighted the problem of not having crop competition.
The paddock received a pre-emergent knockdown of paraquat with trifluralin, chlorpyrifos and bifenthrin and the Hyola 404 and IH 30 RR was sown with 75kg/ha of Thumper fertiliser. Nitrogen nutrition was topped-up later via an application of 120kg/ha of urea.
The Plantshield was applied at the two-leaf and six-leaf crop stages of the Hyola 404, while it was only applied at the cotyledon stage of the IH 30 RR variety as this coincided with the six-leaf spray treatment.
Meanwhile, IH 30 RR has also performed well in independent National Variety Trials (NVT) throughout WA last season.
Yield results have placed it second in a big line-up of early season hybrid varieties, just behind Pioneer's 43Y23 variety and ahead of Pacific Seeds' Hyola 404 and 400, as well as NuSeed's GT41.
IH 30 RR performed especially well at sites near Cunderdin, Buntine and Kellerberrin.
Good seed tonnages of IH 30 RR and Bayer's existing IH 50 RR variety are expected to be available to growers for next season.
Farmers can contact their local Bayer representative for further details.
