Canola meal is highly regarded as a component of animal feed with a high protein content and a desirable amino acid profile. The presence of some components, in particular glucosinolates, sinapine and fibre, affects the value of the meal and reduces the amount that can be used in animal feed formulations. Glucosinolates in traditional cultivars (rapeseed) had very high amounts and this severely limited the usefulness of the meal. Canola breeding programs have successfully reduced glucosinolate content to trace amounts. However sinapine remains at levels sufficiently high to cause problems, particularly in poultry feed. The relatively high fibre level in canola also reduces the value of the product for animal feed. This study has determined the level of sinapine, glucosinolates and fibre in current cultivars of canola in Australia to illustrate advances made by breeding programs and limitations which still remain to raise the usefulness of a potentially valuable feedstock. Although glucosinolate levels in meal were shown to have been reduced to 11 lmol/g in some cases, sinapine remained at traditional levels of about 12-15 g/kg and neutral detergent fibre levels were about 30-40%. These issues are important priorities for canola breeders.

These results serve to emphasizi the necessity of using seed of comparable quality in yield trials.

The competitive effect on yield of plants grown from large and small seeds was demonstrated in both greenhouse and field tests. Plants from small seeds yielded approximately 77 per cent of those grown from large seeds in the greenhouse and 57 per cent in the field with inter-plant competition; with inter-row competition the percentages were 70 and 54 respectively; and, with no competition, 89 and 83 per cent respectively. It was further shown that increased competition favoured plants from large seeds. Superior production resulted mainly from a greater number of heads on plants grown from large seeds.Suggestions are made as to how problems arising from this source of non-genetic variation could be overcome in various stages of selection.

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Two commercially suitable barley cultivars yields from seeding rates were not differenwere compared for three years at different tially afiected by fertilizer treatments. The dates and iates of seeding and fertility levels. seeding rate of 67 ke/ha, considerably, below Conquest was significantly higher in yield the average used in practice, gave th.e_highest than-Olli and the differential magnitude in-yields. There were no significant differences creased as seeding was delayed. Olli matured in unit volume or kernel weights attributable 5 days earlier tfan Conquest when seeded to different tr€atments. The results indicated early and 9 days earlier when seeded late. that the use of Conquest in a delayed seedThg two cultivais gave the same response to ing program could markedly increase the unit seeding rates and fertilizer treatments, and area production in central Alberta.