Canola: a golden option for winter cultivation

Developed by Canadian researchers, canola is an improved variety of rapeseed, an oilseed crop cultivated since the Middle Ages in countries in the Middle East and North America. From it, oil is extracted for cooking and for the production of biofuel. The name originates from “Canadian oil low acid”, in Portuguese.

Naturally cultivated in cold climates, as occurs in Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná - the largest national producers -, canola has also gained space in the Brazilian Cerrado and other states, thanks to a strong genetic improvement program promoted by Embrapa to adapt the crop to hot climates. The oilseed is a great option for winter cultivation due to the benefits linked to crop rotation, such as breaking disease cycles, improving soil structure and nutrient cycling. Furthermore, it has high profitability, receiving the nickname “winter soybeans” because the sales price is based on the value of a bag of soybeans.

Success in canola cultivation, according to Embrapa researcher Gilberto Omar Tomm, depends on uncompacted soil, with good fertility, little or no presence of weeds similar to the crop, and producers dedicated to carrying out the indicated practices, specific to the crop. The machines and the spacing between the rows in the crops are the same as for soybeans (40-50 cm), however the crop requires special attention to the seeder's dosing mechanism due to the small size of the seeds. The same care is required when adjusting harvesting machines, requiring adaptations to avoid losses. The national average productivity of canola is 1400 kg/ha, totaling 55 thousand tons (CONAB, 2022).

The benefits generated by canola go beyond seasonal profitability, also improving soil quality and enhancing the entire production system. Canola has a high demand for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S), and the amount of these nutrients needed to produce one ton of grain is approximately 80 kg/ha, 15 kg/ha and 29 kg /ha, respectively. The main precaution when fertilizing is the proximity of the fertilizer to the seeds when planting, as canola is very sensitive to fertilizers containing P and S. The damage caused is due to the high saline content of conventional sources containing N and S ( saline index of ammonium sulfate is around 68,3).

Still according to the Embrapa researcher, canola is only grown in fertile soil. “Investment in fertilizers is among those that provide the greatest return,” he states in the Canola Cultivation Manual (2003). To meet this, Mosaic Fertilizers presents MicroEssentials S15, which contains N, P and S in the same nutritionally balanced granule. The fertilizer offers two sources of sulfur, with rapid and gradual release; and reduced salt index (21,1) when compared to ammonium sulfate (SA).

Research carried out at the University of Manitoba, in Canada, showed an increase of 12% to 48% in the phosphorus available to plants when fertilized with MicroEssentials S15 when compared to monoammonium phosphate (MAP), which favored greater absorption of phosphorus by plants. canola (+23%). A study by Mosaic's agronomic team in the United States showed a 5,5% increase in productivity in canola, promoted by fertilization with MicroEssentials S15 (comparative result with MAP+SA sources). With the same fertilizer, there was less impact on the germination of canola seeds, due to the lower saline content. Paying attention to the nutritional demands of the soil and the crops to be cultivated enhances the increase in productivity in crops. And, in addition to the profitability generated for the farmer, canola contributes to the availability of products intended for food and biofuel production.