Spring and Winter Canola: Variety Selection

| Corn | Soybeans | Forages | Cereals | Dry Edible Beans |
| Spring and Winter Canola | Other Crops | Soil Management |
| Soil Fertility and Nutrient Use | Field Scouting |
| On-Farm Stored Grain Management | Weed Control |
| Insects and Pests of Field Crops | Diseases of Field Crops | Appendices |

Pub 811: Agronomy Guide > Spring and Winter Canola > Variety Selection

Excerpt from Agronomy Guide for Field Crops
Order OMAFRA Publication 811: Agronomy Guide for Field Crops

Winter Canola

New hybrid varieties with improved winter hardiness, improved vigour, black leg resistance/tolerance and high yield potential have allowed winter canola to expand production into more areas of Ontario.

Only import seed that is carrying a phytosanitary certificate (assurance that canola seed is free of blackleg). Blackleg is a serious disease of canola that can be seed- or soil-borne. In the past, importation of seed carrying blackleg caused widespread disease and serious crop losses. Current registered varieties of winter canola have good resistance to blackleg.

Choosing Superior Winter/Spring Varieties

Yield and variety traits for the cultivars tested by the Ontario Oil and Protein Seed Committee are presented in the OMAFRA Infosheet, Variety Recommendations for Spring and Winter Canola, available on the OMAFRA website at www.ontario.ca/crops. Select superior varieties that have demonstrated stable yield performance in multi-site, multi-year data.
Aside from yield, other canola traits to consider are:

• lodging resistance
• herbicide system
• disease resistance
• percentage of green and brown seeds

All canola varieties presently being grown in Ontario belong to the Brassica napus species (Argentine) and have good resistance to blackleg, although varieties differ in their level of resistance.

Seed Quality Characteristics

Seed quality is important to maintaining a market for canola varieties in Ontario. Brown and green seed (internal colour when crushed) are two important grading factors that affect the oil quality and ultimate market value of the canola. The length of the growing season has the largest impact on brown and green seed, but genetics also plays a role. Consider varieties with a low green and brown seed count.