Seeding Date Influence On Winter Canola Performance in North Dakota.

Recently developed winter canola genotypes exhibit improved winter-hardiness and the potential for good crop performance in regions with more severe winters.  The study objective was to evaluate seeding date influence on winter canola performance in eastern North Dakota.  The study was a RCBD with three seeding dates (main plot), three genotypes (subplot), and three replicates conducted at Prosper, ND during 2007/2008.  Seed yield was 40% higher (2566 kg/ha) from the early (14 Sept.) compared with the two later seeding dates (27 Sept. and 3 Oct.) when averaged across genotypes.  Genotype KS9135 produced approximately 20% greater seed yield than the two other genotypes when averaged across seeding dates.  There was not a seeding date by genotype interaction for seed yield.  Based on these results early seeding and genotype choice are both important for optimizing crop performance.