Optimising Plant Establishment 2018-2019 Narraport Canola Experiment

Data from the 2018-2019 crop establishment trial at Narraport, VIC. The trial compared the establishment of Canola 44Y89 at different densities, under a conventional cone seeder and under a precision seeder, and at two row spacings (a narrow row spacing of 22.9cm, and a wide row spacing of 30.5cm). The experiment was run under the UOA1803-009RTX GRDC project led by the University of Adelaide, with the experiment management and data collection handled locally in Narraport by the Birchip Cropping Group (BCG).<strong>Files:</strong>2018 Birchip Canola.xlsx, 2019 Birchip Canola.xlsx<strong>Experiment setup:</strong>The experiment was managed locally by the Birchip Cropping Group (BCG). The trial was organised as a split split plot with 6 treatments of target plant densities (15, 25, 35, 45, 55, 65 plants/m2), with two different row spacings (narrow 22.9cm row vs wide 30.5cm row), and two different seeders used (conventional cone seeder vs precision seeder). This design was embedded in a spatial grid with 16 rows (not including the two bordering buffer plots on either side), 6 ranges and 4 replicates, for 96 plots total. The variety used for these Narraport trials was Canola 44Y89. The trial randomisation differed between 2018 and 2019, but the experimental design stayed the same.<strong>Variables recorded:</strong><strong>2018:</strong>establishment count (plants/m2), interplant distance (cm), seed bed moisture (%), NDVI, Anthesis dry matter (t/ha and also per-plant), yield (t/ha, and also corrected to 8% moisture), test weight (kg/hL), oil (%), protein (%), moisture (%).<strong>2019:</strong>establishment count (plants/m2), interplant distance (cm), NDVI, flowering biomass (t/ha), harvest biomass (t/ha), yield (t/ha), oil (%), test weight (kg/hL).<strong>Data collection and assessment:</strong><strong>2018:</strong>The paddock was sown on 15/05/2018 with the cone seeder, and on 16/05/2018 with the precision seeder. Fertiliser and chemical application was applied between 15/05/2018 and 02/12/2018 according to the schedule included in the '2018 Birchip Canola.xlsx' spreadsheet. Date of emergence was 31/05/2018. Plant establishment was recorded six times between 31/05/2018 and 26/06/2018, counting emerged seedlings in 3m marks across two rows. Soil moisture probes were used to take 4 sets of measurements between 31/05/2018 and 15/06/2018 during the establishment. Interplant distances were measured by paddock survey on 09/07/2018. NDVI measurements were recorded 4 times between 26/06/2018 and 24/08/2018 using the handheld GreenSeeker. Biomass cuts were made at anthesis on 28/10/2018, with 2 cuts/plot minimum using a ruler and the dry mass recorded. Harvest and grain assessments were made on 08/12/2018, with the yield, test weight, oil, protein and moisture content recorded.<strong>2019:</strong>The '2019 Birchip Canola.xlsx' spreadsheet contains mostly just the recorded values for the variables measured during the second year of the experiment. NDVI were recorded 7 times between 11/06/2019 and 26/08/2019. The interplant distance (in cm), plant establishment, flowering biomass, harvest biomass, grain yield and oil content were recorded for the trial.