b'When it comes to sclerotiniacanolas costliest disease Agricultural Research Foundation, ran a four-year row spacing and Turkington says manipulating row spacing, microclimates, airseeding rate field trial starting in 2013. The results from that study flow and other controllable factors are all minor compared to theshowed the varying treatments impact on overall yield was small diseases single biggest risk factor: the amount of crop materialand, in many cases, insignificant. That said, Holzapfel cautions above the soil surface. A heavy stand and high yielding crop,producers against assuming fewer seeds per square foot, through regardless of plant distribution, will be at most risk if weatherwide row spacing and/or lower seeding rate, is safe. conditions are conducive to disease.In our study, we did get away with some pretty low seeding rates Of course, disease is just one factor in crop production. Thein widely spaced rows without much impact on yield, but thats sweep treatment in Turkingtons study may have a negativea pretty dangerous game to play when you start dealing with the impact on other pest issues, he says, as the increased amount of soilimpacts of frost, flea beetles, variable distribution of plants and disturbance can activate weed seedbanks, leading to increased weedother factors. That could backfire pretty quickly. Sometimes you pressure from issues such as wild oats. can get away with a shockingly low plant population with canola, but thats never where you want to start, he explains.Opportunity to Decrease Seeding Rate? Starting in 2018, Steve Shirtliffe, a professor and field crop Could it be possible to use wider row spacing to decrease seedagronomy researcher at the University of Saskatchewan, ran a costs? Maybe, but its a risky decision. The Canola Council ofseveral year study, assessing canola row spacing of as low as six Canada reports that, due to canolas ability to branch and fill space,inches to as high as 30 inches at various seeding rates. canola at densities as low as four plants per square foot still has aOur main hypothesis was that we believed the more evenly you high probabilityas high as 90 per centof achieving similarcould get canola seeds spaced to each otherboth between rows yield to a higher density stand. That said, producers have just oneand within the rowthe less seed youd need. And we thought we opportunity to start well, and many factors can negatively impactmight be able to compensate for row spacing with higher density, emergence and plant stand development. As such, its always best tohe says. seed at recommended rates rather than trying to save a few dollarsInstead, what the study showed was a yield dropsmall but on seed at the front of the season.evidentas row spacing exceeded 12 inches. Chris Holzapfel, research manager at the Indian HeadAs you go out wider and wider, you do start to see a decrease in 56seed.ab.ca'