BM IT[K :)3 NOV V H1 q.,r f " $ t. A 41 7 4, r '^ fib.. ... * Ih "r~ '1w&> \J AALHAI1,' GALL A L3 N(UI1WA ry.-UVN DhrIU */ l L 3 OH' UNV fJ SI It Al AA\1A CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION .................................... 3 DESCRIPTION OF RAPESEED........................ 3 RESEARCH IN ALABAMA ............................ 5 Varieties...................................... 5 Method of Planting.......................... 11 Planting Date................................ 11 Effect of Cutting Forage on Seed Yield ......... 13 Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer................... 14 Effect of Lime, Phosphorus, and Potassium..15 Effect of Boron .............................. 16 Pests......................................... SUMMARY ........................................ 17 18 FIRST PRINTING 4M, NOVEMBER 1981 Information contained herein is available to all persons without regard to race, color, sex, or national origin. RAPESEED IN ALABAMA C. S. HOVELAND, J. W. ODOM, R. L. HAALAND, and M. W. ALISON, JR. 1) INTRODUCTION APE HAS BEEN GROWN as an oilseed crop for a long time in Europe. It was first grown as an oilseed crop in Belgium and Holland during the 1600's, later spreading into Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, and Russia. Rape continued to be an important oilseed crop in Europe with little grown elsewhere in the world, except China and India. After World War I, rape production started in Argentina and Chile in South America. Rapeseed production did not begin in North America until World War II when the crop was grown in western Canada. However, since World War II, rapeseed production has increased rapidly in western Canada. Only in recent years has there been any production of rapeseed in the United States, this mainly in western states adjacent to Canada. In the southern United States, small amounts of rape have been grown for grazing. DESCRIPTION OF RAPESEED Winter rape (Brassica napus) is a cool season annual that can be planted in autumn and harvested during spring or early summer in regions where winters are not too severe. Summer turnip rape (Brassica campestris) is grown as a summer crop in cold climate areas such as western Canada. Rape belongs to the mustard family, resembling cabbage when young, figure 1, but growing to a height of about 3 to 6 feet. The brilliant yellow flowers produce pods containing 15 to 40 seeds each, figure 2. The black seeds contain 40 to 45 percent oil which has a variety of uses, depending on the chemical composition. Rapeseed can be crushed with the same equipment used for soybeans. Rapeseed oil must be low in erucic acid if it is to be used in edible oil products. Low erucic acid (about 1 percent) varieties have been developed by European and Canadian plant breeders. High erucic *Professor (resigned, now at Agronomy Dept., Univ. of Georgia), Assistant Professor, Associate Professor (resigned), and Research Associate, Agronomy and Soils Department, respectively. ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Up A 4 */ ~ - ~~'l I. / it h. -'f a* .I r# t ;4~ S - t~Y& S FIG. 1 .Young rape in variety test during late November. 4a i FIG. 2. Green pod of rape in April. RAPESEED IN ALABAMA 5 acid (over 50 percent), however, is in strong demand for industrial chemicals used in the rubber industry, textiles, detergents, plastics, and lubricants. Currently, many rapeseed are imported for these uses. The by-product rape meal contains 40 percent crude protein with a good amino acid composition. Rape varieties high in glucosinolates produce meal with reduced palatability and can cause toxicity in poultry and swine when fed in large quantities. Thus, varieties low in glucosinolates are desirable to improve feeding value of the meal. RESEARCH IN ALABAMA The need for a winter cash crop suggested that rapeseed might be useful in the Southeastern United States. If rapeseed could be doublecropped on soybean (Glycine max) land, it would also serve to reduce soil erosion during the winter months. Research on rapeseed was initiated by the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station in 1977. This publication reports the results of variety, management, and fertilizer trials in Alabama. Varieties A wide range of winter rape varieties has been tested in Alabama, table 1. Most of these are from Europe where rape breeding programs have been active for a long time. In addition to varieties in the table, varieties which winter-killed in Alabama were Torch, Torp, Trico, GW-21, GW-22, and Cyclon, figure 3. Midas, a variety that blooms during February and early March, has also winterkilled in northern Alabama. Variety trials were conducted at six locations in Alabama. Rapeseed were generally planted in October at the rate of 6 pounds per acre in 12-inch rows. Plots were 5 x 20 feet with four replications. Phosphorus and potassium were applied using soil test recommendations for small grains. Nitrogen was applied at 50 pounds of nitrogen per acre at planting and again in early March. No herbicides were used. Malathion was applied at bloom time for aphid control. Plants were cut when pods were mature and threshed in a small thresher. Blooming dates, plant height, and pod maturity differed greatly among varieties at the Plant Breeding Unit in central Alabama, table 2, figure 4. Seed yields also differed greatly from year to year as considerable seed were lost by shattering, mainly due to lack of experience in handling this crop, figure 5. If plants had been cut ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION I dill I.I OtituiNnt SEE!) C(ii xixi OF li~n Oiegon. U.S.A. Nciiital Cnkc itR\ is I I >ti FR-r xi \R1 ti x si \'aritl O RB 78-259 Fi+t Essex F[tic cIcid (riosxtic lite FLilA FHighi FHigil FHFigil F cxk F cxx Figi i FitehI FHighi Follaid 'xxxeden Pola nd GociaNit Jit 1 Ia Cantadat Sxxx den F lance \ci (Gertnnx Franice Swxxeden \\exlt (rtaln S\xx deti Sclica Soloia ( ,a AIl Sxxx den Fo mal F cxxna F o\\ F~ wx FLow F cxl F oc F cx [Lowx Fo "x FLow Sxx den Ca.nada \Xexi (Gei iaix Fitgh Fitgh FHFigit FFit FHighi Fitght FHith .4 .9F ; w r * 2;7 2k -ty - A-, FIG. 3. Rape varieties at Feft front winter-killed in central Alabama, January 10. RAPESEED IN ALABAMA I ntai r 2. Si ru Nit i n or R-\ri,,i i u V uii mn Ocrtz 3 1"raxs \i Pt a" t Bui t i>nr, I'vi i. 1 v1 i sv i lant height f7. ( ,llix ar .. Dwoart Essex Sipal . . . D~ate ot 501pecent D ate Seed 979 I/i 2,050)a* cid per acre 195)1 lb h. 2,070 a 2,000~) a 1,830 ah 1,800) ah 1,7201 ah 1,5801 ah 1,270) h 560)) Average bloom ha r\ested in 19211 1910 lh. 560)) 2 9 0 h l I lerk tle, Quinta .. Garant .. Brink . . . . Solo ... Midas .. Date planted *Am t~o iixelds March 10I April 2)) .Apiil 5 Apiil 1l0 Apiil I5 April 201 Apiil 5 Maichi 2)0 March 5 Mac Mlac Mlac Mat Mac Mat Ma, Slat 7 25 21 25 25 25 820 d - ~ 21 7 1,250) c - 1.1 10 a 1.290) a 610c - 1,71)1h Oct. I 330 d Oit. 10 Oct. 2 "xithin a coliumn mat ked tiith the sarme letter aie nut significanil, dilletent ait 5 percent level. x j{a 4 FIG. 4. Gullivar (left) variety bloomed earlier than Dwarf Essex (right), March 22. ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION r ""; I 4~ Vt r~BD a serious problem. prior to pod mat uritxy, and swxathled, as is d one in xwesterni Ca nada, it is li keix, seed x ieids xwould lhaxe been higher . Ini anrot her test at the Plant Breedirig Unit, xarieties x iclded 1,420 to 2,360 pounds seed per acre, table 3. Seed xields at the T ennessee Vallex' Substation ini nortlier n ere Alabama xx poor the f irst y ear xxhien late cutting r esiilted in much RAPESEED IN ALABAMA TABLE 3. SEED YIELD OF RAPESEED VARIETIES AT PLANT BREEDING UNIT, TALLASSEE, 1980-81 9 Plant height Ft. Jet Neuf ......... Dwarf Essex ...... Rapora .......... Gorczanski ....... Sipal ............ O RB 78-259 ..... Quinta ........... Primor ........... Herkules ......... Norde ............ Brink ............... Bishop ........... 4 6 3 4 4 5 6 4 3 3 5 8 Date of 50 percent bloom Date of Harvested Seed yield per acre Lb. 2,360 2,070 2,050 2,040 1,890 1,870 1,770 1,700 1,530 1,530 1,420 - April April April April April April April April April April April April 15 15 15 15 5 5 10 10 10 15 5 25 May 28 May 28 May 28 May 21 May 21 May 21 May 28 May 21 May 28 May 21 May 21 June 4 a* ab ab ab ab ab ab b b b b *Any two yields within a column having the same letter are not significantly different at 5 percent level. Planted: Oct. 13, 1980 Soil: Canada fine sandy loam. TABLE 4. SEED YIELD OF RAPE VARIETIES AT TENNESSEE VALLEY SUBSTATION OVER 2 YEARS Variety 1980 Lb. Quinta ............ Sipal .............. Garant ............ Brink .............. Herkules ........... Dwarf Essex ....... Gullivar ........... 1,430 a 1,000 b 700 c Seed yield per acre 1981 Lb. 2,770 2,600 2,540 2,430 2,230 1,880 1,730 a ab ab abc abc bc c Average Lb. - - 1,930 - 1,440 1,220 Oct. 7. Oct. 9 Planted: *Any two yields within a column marked with the same letter are not significantly different at 5 percent level. Soil: Decatur clay. shattering, table 4. The second year, yields were better when plants were cut earlier as each variety' matured. Yields of the best varieties exceeded 2,000 pounds per acre at Prattville Experiment Field in central Alabama when cut early to reduce shattering losses, table 5. Yields of the top varieties at the Black Belt Substation in west central Alabama and at the Gulf Coast Substation in south Alabama exceeded 1,500 pounds per acre, table 6. Seed yields at Brewton Experiment Field were lower, probably a result of shattering. Two plantings in previous years at the Black Belt Substation failed because volunteer ryegrass (Lolium 10 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION TABLE 5. SEED YIELD OF RAPESEED VARIETIES AT PRATTVILLE EXPERIMENT FIELD Date of 50 percent bloom Date of harvested in 1981 Seed yield per acre 1979 Lb. 2,280 a* 1,640 b 1,740 b 1,700 b Oct. 2 1980 Lb. 550 940 1,230 450 1981 Lb. 2,630 2,580 1,800 1,790 1,780 1,750 1,020 110 a a b b b b c d Average Lb. - Variety Quinta ........ Garant ........ Gullivar ....... Dwarf Essex ... Herkules ...... Sipal ......... Brink ......... Solo .......... Midas ........ Date planted April 15 April 15 March 15 April 20 April 15 April 10 April 5 March 30 March 10 - May May May June June May May May - 27 27 19 1 1 20 20 20 c b a c 1,540 1,460 - 1,330 - - Oct. 14 Oct. 10 *Any two yields within a column marked with the same letter are not significantly different at 5 percent level. Soil: Lucedale fine sandy loam. TABLE 6. SEED YIELD OF RAPESEED VARIETIES AT THREE LOCATIONS IN 1980-81 Brewton Exp. Field Black Belt Substation Date Seed yield 50 percent Seed yield harvested per acre Lb. Gullivar ....... Quinta ........ Garant ........ Sipal ......... Brink ......... Herkules ...... Dwarf Essex ... Solo .......... May May May May May May May May 13 26 26 26 26 28 28 13 1,330 1,360 1,270 1,840 1,190 1,460 1,520 460 bc* bc bc a c bc b d March25 April 4 April 4 April 2 March 31 April 6 April 6 April 1 bloom date per acre Lb. 1,170 a 740 ab 720 abc 790 ab 350 bcd 250 cd 480 bcd 80 cd May May May May May May May May 13 21 21 21 21 21 21 5 Gulf Coast Substation Date harvested Seed yield per acre Lb. 2,090 a 1,590 b 1,380 bc 980 cd 940 710 d 640 d 150 e Variety Planted Soil Oct. 21 Sumter clay Oct. 27 Benndale sandy loam Nov. 3 Marlboro fine sandy loam *Any two yields within a column marked with the same letter are not significantly different at 5 percent level. multiflorum) choked out the rape. Ryegrass has been the only competing weed pest observed in rape trials. Oil content of selected rape varieties appears to be fairly comparable with that reported elsewhere, table 7. Seed oil content of 40 percent is slightly lower than generally obtained in Europe. Gullivar, a low erucic acid type, appears to be the best performing variety at all locations except in northern Alabama. It matures earlier than other high-yielding varieties such as Dwarf Essex. Other varieties showing promise are Quinta, Garant, Sipal, Jet RAPESEED IN ALABAMA 11 TABLE 7. OIL CONTENT OF RAPESEED VARIETIES AT PLANT BREEDING UNIT OVER 2 YEARS Oil content of seed Variety 1979 Pet. 1980 Pet. Gullivar ...................... Dwarf Essex .................. Midas ....................... 43 40 43 40 39 40 39 38 Brink ........................ Q uinta ....................... Garant ....................... - Neuf, Gorczanski, Rapora, ORB 78-259, Herkules, and Primor. ORB 78-259, an unreleased variety, is especially attractive for industrial use because of its high erucic acid content and low level of glucosinolate. Seed of Dwarf Essex, a commercially available variety, contains about 43 percent erucic acid in the oil. Method of Planting Generally, rape for seed production in humid areas is seeded in 12-to 14-inch rows. Seeding rate in our trials was 5 to 8 pounds per acre which resulted in small stem size and some lodging. A lower seeding rate of about 2 to 4 pounds per acre should increase stem diameter and reduce lodging. Planting Date Planting dates had a marked effect on plant growth and seed yield, figure 6. Satisfactory rapeseed yields were obtained in central and northern Alabama only when planting was done in early-to mid-October, table 8. Seed yields up to 3,300 pounds per acre were achieved in one test. At the Gulf Coast Substation where a mild winter climate prevails, late planting resulted in good seed yields. In southern Alabama, November planting appears to be desirable. ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 4,x. z ti t / M1 i$ r Y f } , 1 . r ,#. 1'f F Ji, L FIG. 6. Gullivar rape on March 30 at Brewton Experiment Field planted Nov. 25 (left). Nov. 10 (center), and October 27 (right. I.11 n 8.i Gi i ix i t R-ii xlii t Enix Yii ai xs A\ r i tI tox Pti yx iix i% 1980-81l 1ix xiiix Seed xicld per acre ,) x ii i latitng date lennesse Prattilie Exp. field / h. Plint Brteeding IIInit I,, Itrei ton E xp. field /.h. (l) ('oaxt Snhst. /h Oct. 7 Oct. 21 Nov. 3 Oct. 10 Oct. 24 Noc 7 Oct. 3 Nom.7 Oet. 27 Nox. 10 Nox. 25 Nox 3 Dee. 2 D~ec.18 5 percent keel. 3,371) a* 2.960) a 1.3)1) b 2.93)) a 1,780) h 110 b 2,140) a 1,0120 h 1.330i a 990 h 86)) h 277)) a 1,53)) b 1,450) h *Anx two xalc withitt a column marked Nith the satne lettet ate nit significaintlx different at RAPESEED IN ALABAMA Effect of Cutting Forage on Seed Yield Rape can be grazed for forage but results of trials in central Alabama show this practice will sharply reduce seed yields, table 9. figure 7. Two cuts of forage resulted in no seed production. It is possible a higher rate of nitrogen might affect this hut one can expect reduced seed yields from cutting or grazing. Similar adverse results from cutting are shown in another experiment, table 10. In addition, wide row spacing increased seed yield of Gullivar rape in I of 2 years. I %11 I9. Flill( 10I I IV U I (m(1 l~ R3ii)iNI P Sill) P i iif xR Ni (ulOIN~t im I) D loP1 I Nsi \ Rxili -\i P'i x\Ni I Nil. 2- 'i [oralu C~LttiTI& tretent \ild per acre Seed) \ eld per ace N' iut .. . . . . . . . . . . Cu iince............................960) (lit MICC *2,6411 .5)0 ........... \lule b a 1. 60) 0 aiic not significawitl *A\lt two ithina column mariked wuth the saime lete dillcicnt at 5 pecnft Icel. x r g,.r r..S, " - tea--.._. FIG. 7. Cutting forage generally reduces rape seed yield. Dwarf Essex rape uncut (center), cut once (right), and cut twice (extreme right), Jan. 10. 14 TABLE ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 10. EFFECT OF Row SPACING AND CUTTING ON FORAGE AND SEED YIELD OF TWO RAPE VARIETIES AT PLANT BREEDING UNIT, TALLASSEE, 1979-80 AND 1980-81 Cutting Variety management Gullivar Gullivar Gullivar Gullivar Dwarf Dwarf Dwarf Dwarf ..... ..... ..... ..... None None Once Three cuts .. None .. None .. Once .. Three cuts Row width In. 12 6 12 6 12 6 12 6 Forage yield per acre 1980 1981 Average Lb. Lb. 0 0 0 0 200 d* 560 c 690 b 1,620 b 0 0 0 0 340 c 810c 1,040 a 2,010 a Lb. 0 0 380 1,160 0 - Seed yield per acre 1980 1981 Average Lb. 280 290 0 0 740 690 460 0 Lb. 2,070 a 1,690 b 830 e 0 f 1,470 bc 1,300 cd 1,000de 0 f Lb. 1,180 990 830 0 1,110 1,000 730 0 Essex Essex Essex Essex 580 1,520 *Any two yields within a column marked with the same letter are not significantly different at 5 percent level. Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer Where Gullivar rape was planted during mid-November in central Alabama, in rotation with Bragg soybeans, the yield response to nitrogen was good, figure 8. Results of this study suggest that rape will require 45 pounds of nitrogen per acre in autumn and 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre in early spring. Where rape does not follow soybeans, nitrogen requirement will probably be higher. Oil content of the seed was unaffected by nitrogen fertilization averaging 40 to 44 percent both years. European research has shown rape has a higher requirement for nitrogen than most other field crops. This indicates variety trials in Alabama may not have received enough nitrogen fertilizer for maximum seed production. RAPESEED IN ALABAMA 15 APES -EEDA LIN AABAM1A1 I,200 70 lb/A fol N -' - ~ - ' -I i *, '45 ib./A 0 l b/A foili1N K-fail N 600 4001 0 20 40 60 80 100 Spring N, lb./A FIG. 8. Effect of nitrogen (N) on rape seed yield. The rape was grown in rotation with soybeans on the E. V. Smith Research Center in central Alabama. The yields are averages of the 1979-80 and 1980-81 growing seasons. Effect of Lime, Phosphorus, and Potassium Where soil pH was 5.5, application of 1.5 tons lime per acre had no effect on seed yield the first year and only a small effect the second year, table 11. Research in Europe has shown rape can tolerate considerable soil acidity. No experiments were conducted on rape response to phosphorus and potassium. European research has shown that rape has about 16 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION TABLE 11. EFFECT OF LIME ON SEED YIELD OF GULLIVAR RAPE GROWN ON NORFOLK FINE SANDY LOAM AT E. V. SMITH RESEARCH CENTER, CENTRAL ALABAMA Seed yield per acre 1979-80 Lb. No Lime ..................... Limet ....................... 1,160 a* 1,150 a 1980-81 Lb. 1,280 b 1,410 a Treatment *Yields in the same column followed by the same letter are not significantly different at the 5 percent level. f Lime was applied to these plots at the rate of 1.5 tons per acre in the fall of 1979. The soil pH at that time was 5.5. the same need for phosphorus and potassium as has small grains. Research in Oregon indicates rape has a high requirement for sulfur, which could be a problem on some Southeastern United States soils. On sandy soils, 10 pounds of sulfur per acre probably should be applied annually. Effect of Boron No response to boron was obtained the first year, but during the second year a yield response was obtained, table 12. This is not surprising since closely related crops such as cauliflower (Brassica olceracea var. botrytis) have a high boron requirement. Boron had no effect on oil content of the seed. On sandy soils, it would be desirable to apply 1 pound of boron per acre per year. TABLE 12. EFFECT OF BORON ON SEED YIELD OF GULLIVAR RAPE GROWN ON NORFOLK FINE SANDY LOAM AT E. V. SMITH RESEARCH CENTER, CENTRAL ALABAMA Boron Treatment per acre 1979-80 Seed yield per acre 1980-81 Lb. a* a a 1,230 1,430 1,250 1,300 1,370 1,490 c ab bc abc abc a Lb. 0.0 0.9 1.8 3.5 5.3 8.8 Lb. 1,300 1,210 1,230 1,130 a 1,000 a 1,060 a *Yields in the same column followed by the same letter are not significantly different at the 5 percent level. tB treatments planted. were applied broadcast and incorporated in the fall before the rape was RAPESEED IN ALABAMA Pests Winter weeds. except for \olunteer rvegrass ha\v not been a problem in rape. It is possible that wild mustard (Bras-sitAkahcer) could be a problem in rape. T hus at the present time there should generally be no need to appl a herbicide on rape. Aphids are thc only insects observed to be a pr oblcm on rape in Alabama. Aphids attack the flower buds and can quickly dcstroy the crop. figure 9. Since aphids are relatively easy to control with insecticides, the main problem is to watch for aphid infestation and quickly apply insecticides before they cause damage. No diseases have been observed on rape in Alabama. Parasitic nematodes in rape roots were much lower than in hairy vetch, table 13. 1hese wcrc mainiy lance. with a few rneadow nematodes. Soil parasitic nematode populations were high in the vicinity of rape roots, the species being mainly lance. stunt, and meadoxx nematodes. p 1' - j~(~ I A FIG. 9. Aphids attacking flower buds of rape in April. 18 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION TABLE 13. NEMATODE POPULATIONS OF SOIL AND ROOTS OF RAPE VARIETIES IN GREENHOUSE, SAMPLED MARCH 10, 1980 Entry Dwarf Essex rape ............. Gullivar rape ................. M idas rape ................... Hairy vetch ................... Parasitic nematodes per gram of root 13 17 18 40 Parasitic nematodes per 50cc of soil 66 53 68 64 SUMMARY Trials over 3 years at six locations indicate that rape may offer potential as a winter cash crop for industrial oil in Alabama. Oil content of the seed will average 40 percent and crude protein content of the meal about 40 percent. Variety trials indicate that yields of 2,000 pounds per acre or more of rapeseed are reasonable to expect with good management using varieties such as Gullivar and Dwarf Essex. Rape should be planted in early October in northern and central Alabama. Planting can be delayed until November in the southern part of the State. No cutting or grazing of rape should be done as this will reduce seed yield. Nitrogen fertilizer requirements for rape following soybeans are 45 pounds per acre in autumn and 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre in early spring. When rape does not follow soybeans, more nitrogen will likely be required. Phosphorus, potassium, and lime requirements are similar to that for small grains. It is likely that 10 pounds of sulfur per acre and 1 pound of boron per acre should be applied annually, especially on sandy soils. Aphids can be a serious pest on rape and insecticide treatment is essential. Seed shattering is a serious problem on rape and ideally the crop should be cut and swathed when green before combining. Farmers interested in growing this new crop should obtain contracts prior to planting and then plant only a small acreage until experience in handling is gained. Alabama's Agricultural Experiment Station System AUBURN UNIVERSITY W\ith ,in ,dgricuIev ery maj]( r so il areaO7 uhui n t nixversit\ set-es the ntCedts of field ci-( )I) livetstick, forcstr\, and hrc.h reioin in AIabima. l erv ct ii icn otf the t,~ ate 1hI"s a stake in this researc h hgranu, sin1ce nx audva.ntage ti )tl new in rk) 1 (" rxu-C)