Polymer seed coating of early- and late-fall-seeded herbicide-tolerant canola (Brassica napus L.) cultivars

Polymer seed coatings offer an opportunity to fall seed Brassica napus earlier in October, thus avoiding difficult seeding conditions (wet/frozen soils) common in late October or early November. A multi-year field experiment was conducted at four locations in Alberta, Canada, to investigate the effect of early (mid-October) and late fall (late October-early November) canola seeding with and without a germination-inhibiting polymer seed coat. Yield and yield components were determined in glufosinate (hybrid and open-pollinated), glyphosate (open-pollinated), and imidazolinone (open-pollinated) herbicide-tolerant canola cultivars. Early-seeded canola without the polymer coat had a reduced plant density of 58% compared to late-fall-seeded canola. Application of the polymer coat on early-seeded canola increased plant density by 80% compared to uncoated seed. Seed yield and dockage were not affected by seeding date when a polymer seed coating was used. Without the polymer seed coat, canola yield was reduced 42% and dockage increased 6% when seeding occurred in early vs. late fall. Increased pod production from early-fall-seeded uncoated canola compared to other seeding dates could only partially compensate for canola yield. Cultivar interactions generally were not agronomically important. The use of polymer seed coatings with all these herbicide-tolerant cultivars will allow producers to seed earlier in fall, rather than waiting for cooler soil conditions in late fall.