Only 50 per cent of the canola seed you put in the ground actually grows to form viable plants. That's the average. Think about that. For all the millions of dollars Prairie growers spend on seed each year, half of that investment doesn't provide any return.

Granted, we have to expect some seed and seedling death, but a new focused agronomy project from the Canola Council of Canada aims to improve return on investment for seed and every other input throughout the season.

Denise Maurice, vice-president of canola production with the Canola Council of Canada, leads a new research program to boost canola yields -- and canola grower profits -- across the Prairies. -- Jay Whetter photo

Denise Maurice, vice-president of canola production with the council, outlined the project at the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission meeting Tuesday at Crop Week in Saskatoon.

The goal of the project is to pump up average canola yields to 40.5 bushels per acre, and higher, so the Canola Council can reach its "15 million tonnes of production by 2015" target.

Canola growers will hear a lot about this project and its best-practice recommendations over the coming months and years, so for the sake of this article I'll concentrate on Maurice's crop establishment recommendations.

The council surveyed growers last year to see what the typical agronomy practices were. Here are some key numbers:

• 60 per cent of growers seed at four to five miles per hour.
 
• While 78 per cent believe they seed at the "right depth," which is less than one inch, fewer than half said they know how to check depth correctly.
 
• 38 per cent check for wear on equipment to make sure their drill has the ability to properly place seed.
 
• 22 per cent know their average plant stand. (The ideal is seven to 14 plants per square foot. At that level, plant population is not a limiting factor on yield potential.)

Studies have shown that seeding canola at four miles per hour, which is important for consistent seed depth and soil cover, and seeding at only one cm (half an inch) deep can greatly improve seedling survival. That means a higher return on investment for seed.

Getting more farmers to improve crop establishment, and thus yield potential, is one step in bumping up average yields toward the 2015 target of 40.5 bushels per acre.

-- Jay Whetter is the editor of Grainews.