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Sustainable Agriculture Student Research Project
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Seed and oil yield from canola in Richmond, BCC. J. Nyereyegona, Department of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems, 2022 |
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Introduction
- Canola:
- Low erucic acid (2%) varieties of rapeseed (Brassica napus, B. rapa or B. juncea)
- Cultivated for oil-rich seed and protein meal
- World’s third-largest source of vegetable oil
- World’s second-largest source of protein meal
- Bred in Canada, which is world's largest canola producer
Objectives
- Trial organic canola production in Richmond, BC
- Compare early, mid, and late-season planting effects on canola seed and oil yield
Methods
- Study conducted at the KPU Farm on the Garden City Lands in Richmond, BC
- Randomized complete block design with four replicates and three planting dates:
- Early season (April 20, 2021)
- Mid season (May 4, 2021)
- Late season (May 18, 2021)
- 3 x 3 m (9 m2) plots
- Organic canola (Stonehenge Organics, SK) direct-seeded at 790 seeds/plot (88 seeds/m2)
- Drip irrigation and weekly weed management until canopy closure
- Row cover applied after seed set to protect from birds (Fig. 1)
- 1 m2 area in center of each plot hand-harvested with sickle at maturity (Fig. 1)
- Seed threshed, winnowed, and weighed (Fig. 1)
- Oil extracted with auto expeller-extractor (Fig. 1)
Image
![Canola production and processing Canola production and processing](/sites/default/files/Faculty%20of%20Science%20%26amp%3B%20Horticulture/Sustainable%20Agriculture/CJ%20canola%20procedure.png)
Figure 1. Small-scale canola seed and oil production methods and tools used in this study.
Results
- Seed and oil weight were strongly correlated (R2 = 0.93) (Figure 2)
- 39% of the seed weight was extracted as oil
- No significant effect of planting date was detected on seed or oil yield (Figure 3)
Image
![Relationship between canola seed and oil yield Relationship between canola seed and oil yield](/sites/default/files/Faculty%20of%20Science%20%26amp%3B%20Horticulture/Sustainable%20Agriculture/Canola%20seed%20oil%20relationship.png)
Figure 2. Relationship between canola seed and oil yield.
Image
![Canola oil and seed weight by planting date Canola oil and seed weight by planting date](/sites/default/files/Faculty%20of%20Science%20%26amp%3B%20Horticulture/Sustainable%20Agriculture/canola%20oil%20and%20seed%20wt%20by%20planting%20date.png)
Figure 3. Seed weight (left) and oil weight (right) by planting date. All figures in g/m2. Error bars denote standard error of the mean.
Discussion
- Excellent summer canola yield in Richmond over an extended range of planting times.
- Average seed yield for study = 310 g/m2 = 3.1 t/ha, compared to Canadian average of 1.4 t/ha (Canola Council of Canada, 2022)
- No significant effect of planting date
Acknowledgments
- Seed for this study was donated by Stonehenge Organics.
- Oil extractor was donated by Nature's Path.
- Mike Bomford and Rebecca Harbut provided guidance on study design and analysis.
- Andy Smith, Taku Someya, the KPU Farm crew, and other KPU students assisted with plot management, harvest, and oil extraction.
- The City of Richmond owns the Garden City Lands, and allows the KPU Farm to operate on the site.
- We farm in unceded Musqueam territory.