How many days to grow a canola crop in your climate?

[AlbertaFarmer5]

AF5 and Freewheat, sounds like where I was in AB. Canola was almost never combined until October. I checked our old weather station data there and see they are at 1533 corn heat units a whole 100 ahead of where they usually are this time of year. We are at 2100 here which is about normal and that's quite a difference. I think it's the overnight lows that slow things - just takes the plants that much longer to get growing in the morning. Better climate for growing grass though with maturity and lignification delayed by a month compared to here.

Very true about the grass. We are always a little slower getting growing in the spring. But our season stretches for months longer are areas east or south of here. Grass stays green and keeps growing all fall, whereas my warmer neighbors are brown by the end of June. But they also tell me that our grass is "soft" and doesn't have the food value of their "hard" brown ripe grass, not sure on that one. My cows seem to like it, but they don't have many options to choose from.
Our trees also stay green far longer than warmer areas, or lighter soil areas.

Has been a very strange year for grass, hay and pastures were headed out/flowered and mature in June due to no rain, and early start, and hot weather. Now the first cut hay which I finished cutting yesterday was young, and green and lush like it should have been in June. That doesn't usually happen, usually once it is mature, it quits for the year.

[WiltonRanch]

Does being closer to the mountains and the shading of the late day sun kill heat units?

[AlbertaFarmer5]

While I can see the mountains, I'm not near close enough to have much effect geometrically. Our proximity to the mountains does cause the cool weather, but I'm not certain of the mechanism. Partly it is our altitude. At 3300 feet, it makes a big difference.

[sumdumguy]

I never knew that crops took longer than 100 days in some regions. Learn something every day.

[MurrayH]

I have been involved with analyzing canola variety trials for many years, and in Alberta the maturity for B. napus canola has ranged from 82 days to almost 140 days. The fewest days to maturity are usually in southern Alberta (similar to long season zone in Manitoba), and the highest are in west central Alberta (Olds, Carstairs, Innisfail). The days to maturity is related to day and night temperatures during the growing season (heat units). Since the night temperatures are much lower closer to the mountains, the days to maturity goes up. The central area west of highway 2, and the southwest portion of the Peace region tend to have the longest days to maturity (115 day average approximately).

[AlbertaFarmer5]

I have been involved with analyzing canola variety trials for many years, and in Alberta the maturity for B. napus canola has ranged from 82 days to almost 140 days. The fewest days to maturity are usually in southern Alberta (similar to long season zone in Manitoba), and the highest are in west central Alberta (Olds, Carstairs, Innisfail). The days to maturity is related to day and night temperatures during the growing season (heat units). Since the night temperatures are much lower closer to the mountains, the days to maturity goes up. The central area west of highway 2, and the southwest portion of the Peace region tend to have the longest days to maturity (115 day average approximately).

Wow, thanks for the info, I never realized it could be that drastic.

Olds/Innisfail are weeks ahead of where I farm west of Innisfail, good to know that they are the longest days to maturity.....

If a variety is supposed to be 2 days longer than another, I consider that a week or more difference here.

A question that remains unanswered to me, is this: Is there a way to convince the crop that the growing season is coming to an end? I would rather have canola with fewer pods, but effectively fill every seed to its potential, than continue making pods for months with none able to fill to their potential. If I could grow seeds the size of what they do in Lethbridge I'd have 120+ bushel yeilds instead of half that with small seeds. Short season varieties don't take the hint any better than long season. Starving the crop for nutrients is effective, but not very economical solution.

MurrayH, is your last name perchance Hartman?

[MurrayH]

Yes to your last question.
Although several management practices can influence maturity slightly such as fertilizer and seeding rate, the plant's ability to respond to mid to late season rain after a dry early season creates this unproductive late podding. I suspect a mix of plant hormones applied several (many?) times could coerce these plants to stop reproductive growth and finish. I haven't seen any research on that.