Spring
Canola
Yield
Performance
and
Nitrogen
Use
Efficiency
Assessment
in
MassachuseAs
M.
Hashemi,
S.
J.
Herbert,
S.
A.
Weis,
and
J.
O.
Carlevale
Dept.
of
Plant,
Soil
and
Insect
Sciences,
University
of
MassachuseMs,
Amherst,
MA,
01003,
USA
Introduc)on:
  In
recent
years,
rising
costs
of
fossil
fuels
and
their
other
disadvantages,
such
as
huge
externali6es
associated
with
carbon
emission,
have
greatly
increased
interest
in
growing
canola
(oilseed
rape)
for
produc6on
of
biodiesel
in
Europe
and
North
America.
  Nitrogen
is
generally
the
most
limi6ng
nutrient
in
oilseed
rape
produc6on
and
rela6vely
high
rate
of
N
fer6lizer
is
used
to
maximize
yield.
Studies
have
shown
that
in
comparison
to
the
N
supply,
the
N
uptake
is
not
high
which
results
in
low
N
use
efficiency
(NUE).
This
increases
the
possibility
of
N
leaching
aGer
harves6ng.
NUE
is
a
complex
trait
and
includes
N
uptake,
N
assimila6on,
storage
and
remobiliza6on
of
assimilates.
  An
improved
NUE
will
provides
economic
benefits
for
the
grower
as
fer6lizer
costs
is
increasingly
becoming
an
issue
and
prices
have
risen
so
much
that
they
now
may
make
up
50%
of
the
variable
costs
of
the
crop
produc6on.
  In
MassachuseMs
oilseed
rape
is
a
new
crop
and
its
growth
and
yield
performance
as
well
as
NUE
has
not
been
evaluated.
Research
Goals:
  Gather
informa6on
on
growth,
seed
yield,
and
nitrogen
uptake
of
oilseed
rape
in
MassachuseMs
condi6on.
  Evaluate
oilseed
rape
produc6on
under
low
N
input
system.
  Assess
NUE
components
including
nitrogen
uptake
efficiency
and
nitrogen
u6liza6on
efficiency.
Oct.
13
Materials
and
Methods:
Background
  This
experiment
was
conducted
in
2009
and
2010
in
the
Connec6cut
River
Valley
(42o
N,
73o
W)
at
the
University
of
MassachuseMs
Crops
Research
and
Educa6on
Center
Farm,
in
South
Deerfield.
  The
soil
type
was
a
Hadley
fine
sandy
loam
(coarse‐
silty,
mixed,
nonacid,
mesic
Typic
Udifluvent).
  Experimental
site
had
no
manure
applica6on
history
and
received
84
kg
ha‐1
P2O2
and
84
kg
ha‐1
K2O
broadcast
prior
to
plan6ng.
  Weeds
were
controlled
with
post
applica6on
of
glyphosate
at
the
rate
of
1.23
kg
ai
ha‐1.
at
4
leaf
stage.
  Experimental
plots
consisted
of
7
rows,
0.18
m
wide
and
8
m
long.
Four
replica6ons
were
used
each
year.
  A
glyphosate
resistance
cul6var;
940
RR
(Croplan
Gene6cs)
was
planted
on
April
24,
2009
and
April
14,
2010
at
the
rate
of
6.5
kg
ha‐1
.
  5.5
m2
from
central
row
was
harvested
by
hand
on
Aug.
4,
2009
and
July
13,
2010.
Treatments
At
the
plan6ng
6me,
four
levels
of
N
applica6on
rates
(0,
56,
112,
and
168
kg
ha‐1)
in
2009
and
five
levels
(0,
56,
112,
168,
and
224
kg
ha‐1)
in
2010
were
applied
to
the
plots,
using
Calcium
Ammonium
Nitrate
(27‐0‐0).
Table
1:
Seed
yield
and
yield
components
of
spring
canola
harvested
in
2009.
______________________________________________________
N
rate
Seed
yield
Pods
plant‐1
Seeds
pod‐1
1000‐seed
wt.
kg
ha‐
kg
ha‐1
g
______________________________________________________
0
1414
39.6
18.7
3.21
61
4128
70.0
17.3
3.32
122
4917
79.7
19.1
3.45 183
6462
107
.0
18.6
3.53
______________________________________________________
Table
2:
Nitrogen
fer6lizer
recovery,
N
uptake
efficiency
and
N
u6liza6on
efficiency
of
spring
canola
harvested
in
2009.
_____________________________________________________
N
rate
Plant
N
Fert.
Rec.
NUptE
NUtE
kg
ha‐
kg
ha‐1
%
%
%
_____________________________________________________
0
63.6
‐
‐
22.2
61
89.1
41.8
1.46
46.2
122
141.0
63.4
1.15
34.9
183
128.4
35.4
0.70
50.3
________________________________________
Nitrogen
uptake
efficiency:
(NUptE)
=
Total
N
in
plant
at
harvest
/
Supplied
N.
Fer)lizer
Recovery:
=
(plant
N
in
fer6lized
plots
–
plant
N
in
unfer6lized
plots)
/
Supplied
N.
  Only
results
from
2009
study
is
presented.
  Our
results
indicated
that
canola
can
be
grown
successfully
in
MassachuseMs
condi6on.
  Seed
yield
increased
as
N
applica6on
rate
was
increased.
Highest
seed
yield
(6462
kg
ha‐1)
was
obtained
when
183
kg
N
ha‐1
was
applied
to
the
crop
(Table
1).
  Adjustment
in
seed
yield
was
primarily
made
by
increasing
the
number
of
pods
per
plant
(Table
1).
  Seed
number
per
pod
and
seed
size
were
not
affected
significantly
by
increasing
N
applica6on
rate
(Table
1).
  Nitrogen
accumula6on
con6nued
un6l
harvest
6me
for
all
applica6on
rates
except
when
highest
rate
was
applied
(Figure
1).
When
183
kg
N
ha‐1
was
applied,
total
plant
N
begun
to
decline
about
65
days
aGer
plan6ng.
  Our
results
indicated
that
spring
canola
is
not
efficient
in
removing
N
from
the
soil.
Only
less
than
2%
of
the
applied
N
was
removed
by
the
plant
(table
2).
  Fer6lizer
recovery
percentage
improved
as
applica6on
rate
increased
to
122
kg
N
ha‐1
but
then
declined
significantly
when
higher
fer6lizer
rate
was
applied.
Recommenda)ons:
Measurements
Growth
paMern
and
N
uptake
were
measured
during
growing
season.
In
2009,
six
samples
(including
final
harvest)
and
in
2010
eight
samples
were
taken
from
0.9
m
(0.15
m2)
of
2nd
and
6th
rows.
Harvested
plants
were
dried
in
forced‐air
oven
at
85o
C
for
4
days
before
weighing.
Samples
then
grinded
and
nitrogen
(total
Kjeldahl
nitrogen)
was
measured
using
Lachat
QC
8500
Spectrophotometer.
Final
harvest
area
consisted
of
3m
(0.5
m2)
from
central
row.
Yield
(biomass
and
seed)
and
yield
components
(pod
plant‐1,
seed
pod‐1,
and
seed
size)
were
determined,
using
three
plants
randomly
plants
harvested
from
central
row.
Nitrogen
Use
Efficiency
components
were
calculated
by
following
equa6ons:
Nitrogen
Use
Efficiency:
(NUtE)
=
Seed
yield
/
Total
N
in
plant
at
harvest.
Results:
Figure
1:
Effect
of
N
applica6on
rate
on
N
accumula6on
paMern
of
spring
canola
in
2009.
  Windrowing
harvested
canola
at
the
op6mum
stage
of
maturity
can
significantly
reduce
seed
shaMer
and
bird
loss.
  Rela6vely
high
rate
of
N
fer6lizer
is
required
to
maximize
canola
seed
yield.
Our
study
has
shown
that
in
comparison
to
the
N
supply,
the
N
uptake
is
not
high
which
results
in
low
N
use
efficiency
(NUE).
  The
Low
N
use
efficiency
may
raise
ques6on
if
canola
is
a
suitable
source
of
oil
for
produc6on
of
biodiesel.
  High
N
residue
in
the
soil
increases
the
possibility
of
N
leaching
into
ground
water
aGer
harves6ng.
  Canola
can
be
harvested
between
mid
August
and
early
July.
Therefore
plan6ng
cover
crops
including
Japanese
millet,
buckwheat,
oat
etc.
can
recover
most
of
residual
N
which
otherwise
will
be
lost
to
the
environment.
  Use
of
cover
crops
also
reduces
the
cost
of
fer6lizer
which
may
then
jus6fies
growing
canola
as
a
biodiesel
crop
in
MassachuseMs.