Alfalfa. Smart canola. Both crops can be grown pretty easily on the eastern side of the province. And since Pursuit is registered for use on seedling alfalfa, many producers are seeding the two crops together. While both crops appear to do well when intercropped, there are really no guidelines for the seeding rate of the canola, the fertility, and timing of the cutting of the alfalfa to ensure a vigorous stand the following year.
In the spring of 1999, at the East Central Research Foundation farm near Canora, Ernie Patrick (Extension Agrologist, Sask. Ag & Food) and myself set up some trials that would address these concerns.
Two plots were established. The first is designed to look at canola seeding rates and the effect these have on alfalfa establishment. The alfalfa seeding rate was kept constant at 8 lbs. per acre. The Smart canola rates were 3 lbs. 5 lbs. and 7 lbs.
Treatments #1, 2 and 3 were seeded to pure alfalfa and each treatment established well. Treatment # 1 will be cut next summer. Treatment #2 was cut in July, no second cut was taken. Treatment #3 was allowed to grow all summer and then a dormant cut was taken. Treatments # 4, 5 and 6 had the various rates of canola seeded with the alfalfa. The canola was harvested from these plots in early September. The alfalfa was not cut. Next summer, a visual assessment of the alfalfa stand in each treatment will be conducted. All treatments will be cut twice, once in July and once in August. An economic analysis will then be conducted to determine which treatment brings the most returns per acre over a 2 year period.
The second plot is designed to look at seeding and fertility rates. In Treatments #1, 2 and 3, the canola was seeded at 3 lbs. 5 lbs. and 7 lbs. per acre, the alfalfa at 8 lbs. 80 lbs. of N, 25 lbs. of P205 , and 15 lbs. S was applied to each treatment. In Treatment #4, the same fertilizer was applied to 8 lbs. of alfalfa, no canola. In Treatment #5, 18 lbs. N, 25 lbs. P205 and 15 lbs. S were applied to 8 lbs. of alfalfa, no canola. Treatments #6, 7 and 8 each received 40 lbs. N, 13 lbs. P205 and 8 lbs. S. Canola seeding rates were 3 lbs., 5and 7, and 8 lbs. alfalfa. No fertilizer was applied to the 3 lbs., 5 lbs. and 7 lbs. of canola and 8 lbs. alfalfa in Treatments 9, 10 and 11. Again, the alfalfa will be assessed in the spring and an economic analysis of the returns per acre over a 2 year period will be conducted next fall.
This project was made possible through funding from Cyanamid and the assistance of the ECRF staff.