September 30, 2024

Exploring the Dugald Plot: 2024 Canola Variety Trials 

Farmers are always keen to capture the latest crop performance, pest management, and yield potential. One way to achieve this is by evaluating new products in large-scale field trials, where different seeds, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides are tested in real-world conditions.

The P&H Dugald team arranged a plot in Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba, to evaluate the performance of eight experimental canola varieties from four seed companies: Dekalb, CANTERRA Seeds, BASF, and BrettYoung.

• Dekalb: DK800LL (8.5 acres) and DK801LL (8.5 acres)
• BASF: L343PC (8.5 acres) and L356PC (8.5 acres)
• BrettYoung: BY7204LL (8.5 acres)
• CANTERRA Seeds: CS4000LL (8.5 acres) and two experimental varieties, CS EXP (4.25 acres)

Seeding was completed on May 23, 2024. The surrounding area was seeded with L340P, making the total field size 125 acres with the trial plot covering just under 60 acres.

Crop Protection Solutions 

Several products were utilized to manage and protect the canola crop during the 2024 trial season:

• Insecticide: Pounce® by FMC
• Fungicide: Miravis® Star by Syngenta
• Herbicide: Liberty® Herbicide by BASF

Weather Challenges and Hail Recovery 

On the evening of July 6, 2024, the trial plot was hit by hail, damaging the plants. Despite this setback, the plants recovered well in the weeks following. The harvest was completed successfully, though the hail may have reduced the yield by an estimated 10-15 bushels. Once the sample results are included, yield data will be shared.

Learn more about the performance of the trial plot by contacting the P&H Dugald team.