In Mzansi, canola pods are largely used to make canola oil or blended with other edible oils. It’s considered an excellent rotation crop, too. On this episode of Farmer’s Inside Track, we share a guide to get started, and include tips for newly commercialised farmers to up their game.
Johnathan Pyper, agronomist at Southern Oil, chats to journalist Nicole Ludolph about the best planting times. He also delves into what makes the Southern Cape Overberg and Swartland regions of the Western Cape the primary cultivation spot for canola.
The life cycle of this winter crop usually starts in mid-April when the soil moisture is favourable for the germination of the seed. According to Pyper, planting canola disrupts the life cycle of various pathogens that cause root and fungal disease in some cereal crops.
“Additionally, economic studies found that the roots of a biofumigation effect in the soil which deters these pathogens and contributes to disease suppression.
“[it is] Therefore no surprise that producers experience up to 20 to 25% improved grain yields the year after canola was planted,” he says during the episode.
Pyper also talks soil health and what farmers need to know when planting this crop.
Sharing tips around the fertilisation, he says although the canola industry in Mzansi is still young, the cultivation of the crop has been exceptional in the past 20 years.
He also shares agricultural benefits, talks new cultivars and improved management strategies and good market prices.
Want to know more? Listen to the full episode of Farmer’s Inside Track.
Option 1: Click here to listen on Spotify (all mobile and other devices).
Option 2: Click here listen on any Apple device.
Option 3: Click here to listen on Google Podcast.
ALSO READ: Top tips to grow a good canola crop
Sign up for Farmer’s Inside Track: Join our exclusive platform for new entrants into farming and agri-business, with newsletters and podcasts.
