FERTILITY MANAGEMENT IN CANOLA PRODUCTION

A review of the world literature on canola, a type of oilseed rape with low glucosinolates and low erucic acid, indicated that canola is a heavy user of plant nutrients. Canola requires as much or more nitrogen than cereal crops. Although canola requires more P than cereal crops for optimum yield, it may require lower levels of P fertilizers, as it is very effective at utilizing both soil P and applied P. During growth, canola takes up large quantities of K, but only a small amount is removed in the seed, so canola appears to require less fertilizer K than cereals. Canola requires more S than do cereal crops and S deficiencies may severely restrict canola yield, particularly where high levels of N are applied. Micronutrient deficiencies in canola are not common, but may occur on specific soils. Increases in canola yield with application of B, Zn and Cu have been reported in field studies. Balanced nutrition of canola is important to ensure optimum seed yield and quality as well as the most economic response to applied fertilizer.