Canola Adaptation to Irrigated Production In New Mexico.

With the increased interest in biofuel feedstock development to address renewable energy requirements for the United States, a range of crops is under investigation to determine adaptation to various regions of the country. Oilseed crops such as sunflower, safflower, camelina, and canola are of interest in the semi-arid west because of their high oil content when produced under limited irrigation or no supplemental water apart from rainfall. When irrigation is available, increased grain yields result in increased oil yields, which can be blended with diesel to produce various grades of biodiesel.

Irrigated winter canola was grown in 2008 and 2009 at the New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center as part of the National Winter Variety Trial. Additional varietal and agronomic trials were conducted at the NMSU Agricultural Science Centers in Clovis and Artesia during 2009. Mean grain yields at Farmington were 1,092 and 4,648 kg ha^-1 with a range of 400 - 2,257 and 2,853 - 6,572 kg ha^-1 during 2008 and 2009, respectively. Eleven varieties tested at Artesia in 2009 had a mean grain yield of 831 kg ha^-1. The highest yielding variety in Artesia was Baldur with a yield of 1,435 kg ha^-1 while Sumner had the lowest yield of 373 kg ha^‑1. Research in Farmington, Clovis, and Artesia indicated that mid-August to mid-September are the best dates that can be realistically used for planting canola in these areas, respectively. In 2009, timing and rate of nitrogen application were tested in Clovis. Results indicated that moderate fall N-applications are effective when coupled with N-applications in the spring. From variety and agronomic research, it appears that various regions of New Mexico are appropriate for winter canola production.