December 10, 2002

Research Shows a Better Way to Fertilize Canola

Research being conducted at North Dakota State University Research Extension Centers indicates that canola producers may be applying more nitrogen fertilizer than the crop needs and that canola producers may be able to limit some fertilizer risks by applying fertilizer later in the growing season.

Eric Eriksmoen, research agronomist at the NDSU Hettinger Research Extension Center, is coordinating a statewide effort funded by the Northern Canola Growers Association to better understand fertilizer utilization by canola. Canola is a relatively new crop for North Dakota although it is being grown on more than 1 million acres in the state and accounts for almost the entire production in the United States, according to Eriksmoen.

"We’ve come a long way but we’re still learning more about this crop," he says. "Right now, we’re focusing on fertilizer use. Twenty-five years ago, when canola was in its infancy, our Canadian counterparts developed a set of fertilizer recommendations which NDSU accepted when our northern farmers started to grow this crop."

Since that time, there have been tremendous improvements in varieties, production practices and the area of adaptation, he notes. Twenty-five years ago there was almost no canola production in North Dakota, now canola is grown in every county. "Our best varieties would only yield 1000 pounds per acre 25 years ago, now we’re getting yields of 2000 to 3000 pounds per acre, but we’ve never updated our fertilizer recommendations," Eriksmoen says.

Eriksmoen says it’s likely the current fertilizer recommendations aren’t right for a good portion of North Dakota because they were based on what took place in cool Canadian soils. "We probably have more available nitrogen in our warmer soils due to an accelerated release of nitrogen through the breakdown of organic matter down here," he says. "This may account for some of the differences that we’re seeing. You would expect higher fertilizer recommendations with higher yields, but in fact, I think we’re going to see those nitrogen fertilizer recommendations come down from where they are now."

Another area that the NDSU Research Extension Centers are working on is fertilizer utilization by the canola plant. "We know that the canola plant takes up and utilizes some nutrients from the soil later in its life cycle," Eriksmoen says. "Canola growers currently apply all of their fertilizer at planting, but the canola plant doesn’t use very much of it until it starts to flower. It may be more efficient to apply fertilizer when the plant needs it rather than put it all down before you know whether or not you even have a stand."

Eriksmoen will present results of these studies at the Western Dakota Crops Day on Thursday, Dec. 19, beginning at 9 a.m. MST at the Hettinger Armory. The Western Dakota Crops Day is presented by the Hettinger and Dickinson Research Extension Centers. The event is free of charge and is open to the public.

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Source: Eric Eriksmoen, (701) 567.4325, eeriksmo@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu