Canola interest growing

link Staff photo: Aubry Buzek

Sangu Angadi, a New Mexico State University crop physiologist at the Clovis Ag Science Center, showed farmers dryland and irrigated canola plants Tuesday at the Canola-Wheat Field Day.

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For the layman, fields of bright yellow canola are simply pleasant to look at. But for local farmers and agriculture researchers, the crop is becoming an important, drought-tolerant option for winter planting in the region.

“Precipitation is unpredictable,” said Sultan Began, a research specialist at the Clovis Ag Science Center. “We have to look for crops that require less water.”

Scientists from New Mexico State University and Texas A&M held a day of classes devoted to the crop at the Canola-Wheat Field Day Tuesday at the center.

The event attracted more than 54 farmers from eastern New Mexico and Texas to the station, where researchers have planted 20 acres of at least 54 varieties of winter canola for trials.

Curry County Extension Agent Luther Dunlap said the goal of the day was to educate farmers about the complimentary nature of canola and wheat.

“I don’t want y’all to think I am trying to say ‘Go plant canola instead of wheat,’” Dunlap said. “Think of it as, planting canola can help you improve your wheat yields.”

Dunlap said there may be evidence that canola helps improve wheat yields by reducing certain types of fungus that grows in soil.

Local wheat and grain sorghum farmer Hoyt Pattison said he may try growing canola again after learning about the improvements made in varieties over the last 10 years.

He said one of the big takeaways he got from the day was information from Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Agronomist Calvin Trostle regarding assessing damage to wheat after a hailstorm.

“Ignore it for about seven days or maybe 10, and then make your assessment,” Trostle said. “Why? Because of the tillering potential of wheat…When it comes to hail damage on wheat, it’s never as bad as it looks.”

Trostle also presented information on the conditions that lead to greater yields in wheat and canola. He focused on management guidelines to follow during important growth stages, including carefully timing the placement of herbicides and top grass nitrogen.

Trostle said the establishment of canola is paramount, and winter canola needs to be planted at the right time to ensure its survival through the season.

“Here is one very fundamental difference about wheat and about canola in terms of how they grow,” Trostle said. “The growth point for wheat for most of the winter through jointing is below the ground. The growing point for winter canola through most of the winter is at the soil surface or slightly above the soil surface. So it is vulnerable.”

Trostle said wheat farmers should also be aware of stripe rust, a fungus farmers are seeing in Texas. He discussed the wheat varieties that are resistant to the fungus and the fungicides that can be used to treat it.

“Stripe rust is something that we are very cautious about,” Trostle said.

The researchers also gave classes on weed management, insect pest management and herbicide resistance technology.

ADM Manager John Chisum also talked to farmers about the company’s addition of canola seed processing for oil in Lubbock. Angadi said before the facility opened, farmers had to transport canola crops to Oklahoma for the service.

After lunch, some of the group went out to the canola fields at the station to see firsthand the differences between dryland and irrigated canola and wheat, and compare the different varieties of the crops.