Forage yield and chemical composition of canola (Brassica napus L.) as affected by sowing methods

Abstract

The sowing method of spring-type canola (Brassica napus L. var. oleifera) for forage has a major influence on its productivity and agronomic management. A field experiment was conducted in Matamoros, Coahuila, Mexico, during two growing seasons (to determine dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and net energy for lactation (NE L ) yields, as well as canola forage chemical composition as a function of six sowing methods. The treatments assessed were broadcast sowing and five different row spacings: 0Á19, 0Á38, 0Á57, 0Á76 and 0Á95 m (double row, 0Á20 m apart). In the first year, with a mean growing season temperature of 17Á2°C, sowing methods did not affect DM yield, but CP and NE L content and yield were higher in 0Á19-m row spacing. The mean temperature in the second year (13Á5°C) was slightly lower than the long-term mean (14Á8°C) in the region, resulting in the highest DM (8840 kg ha À1 ), CP (2486 kg ha À1 ) and NE L yields (51 103 MJ ha À1 ) with 0Á19-m row spacing. In rowsowing methods with over 0Á19-m row spacing, DM, CP and NE L yields decreased by 19Á3-39Á7, 20Á4-42Á1 and 21Á2-42Á7% respectively. Results indicate that sowing methods significantly affected canola forage productivity.

Canola and Oat Forage Potential Evaluation in Four Early Planting Dates

“…Dry matter yield reduction in canola as an effect of its growth cycle decrease has also been reported in another study [7]. The aim of this study was to evaluate canola forage potential growth established by different sowing methods during two growth cycles (2008-2009 and 2009-2010) and concluded that a higher DM yield was achieved in the second growth cycle.…”

“…Other experiments performed on canola have reported results differing from those observed in this study. An increase in ambient temperature may result in a decrease of CP and ENL contents and an increase of NDF and ADF concentrations in forage [7,32]. In this sense, it has been suggested that an increase in forage fiber is positively related to an increase in cell wall lignificaton, which is an effect of high temperatures during the growth cycle [33].…”

“…The effect of high temperatures and long photoperiods on oat and canola growth cycles is frequently associated to a DM yield reduction in canola [7] and oat [35]. Both species presented such response in the September 11 sowing date, but reflecting variation according to each growth cycle and cultivar.…”

“…The species offering better opportunities for improving forage productivity are those which showed outstanding results during the autumn-winter cycle, because they were more precocious, presented less evapotranspiration rates, and reflected higher crude protein content values [2][3][4][5][6]. Among such species, canola (Brassica napus L.) was one of the crops best adapting to traditional autumn-winter forage crop production systems [3], showing acceptable forage production and chemical composition [7,8].…”

“…A major aspect to determine in canola crop farming is its agronomic performance when sown early (September and October), and also its potential productivity against oat, the latter being the main traditional autumn-winter crop in this area. In autumn-winter cycle early sowings, average maximum temperatures reach 27.2°C to 29.3°C, with more than 12 hours photoperiod; both factors accelerate canola growth cycle and reduce its DM yield [7]. The optimal growth and development temperature for canola is around 20°C [10,11], with the rate of development responding positively to long days in the interval 12 to 16 hours [11].…”