The Effect of Seeding Date, Seeding Rate, and Applied Nitrogen on the Yield of Canaryseed

A major problem when growing canaryseed is the year to year fluctuation in yield experienced by Saskatchewan farmers. The cause of this fluctuation in yield is not known, but suggestions include seeding rate, seeding date , nitrogen rate, potassium, sulfur, aphids, a fungus called leaf mottle, and lack of moisture during grain filling. To determine the cause of this fluctuation in yield and to optimize the agronomics of canaryseed production research examining the effect of planting date, seeding rate and nitrogen rate at three locations, Melfort, Indian Head and north of Swift Current (Stewart Valley) was started in 1999. In 2000, with additional funding from the Potash and Phosphate Institute of Canada, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada work was started on potassium and sulfur. Two full seasons have been completed. In 1999 all four experiments were conducted at the three locations. No major problems occurred at Indian Head or Swift Current during the growing season. In addition the seeding rate and nitrogen rate experiments were conducted at Weyburn. At Melfort, in 1999 hail damaged the plots in July reducing yield and the reliability of the data. At Weyburn, bird damage and drought at the end of the season reduced yields. In 2000, the Septoria leaf Mottle experiments were lost at Indian Head due to flooding and also at Weyburn because of excessive wild oat pressure. Seeding date had a large effect on yield at several locations. The first seeding date had the highest yield at Swift Current and Melfort while the second seeding date was highest at Indian Head in 1999 and in a preliminary experiment conducted in 1998. In 2000, the first seeding date had the highest yield at Indian Head and Melfort. While seeding date did not affect yield at Swift Current or Saskatoon. The yield of canaryseed did not readily respond to changes in seeding rates. Slight increases in yield occurred at Melfort and Weyburn in 1999 and 2000 as the seeding was increased. In addition canaryseed yield did not respond to increasing rates of nitrogen fertilizer. Controlling Septoria leaf mottle with Tilt did provided a yield response 4 out of 6 site years. The \ntwo sites where a response did not occur was at Stewart Valley. The Canaryseed yield was significantly increased by potassium at two locations but the results are two preliminary to make general conclusions.