Repeseed adaptation in Northern New South Wales. II.* Predicting plant development of Brassica campestris L. and Brassica napus L. and its implications for planting time, designed to avoid water deficit and frost

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to determine the growing degree-day (D°) requirements of annual B. campestris and B. napus cultivars, and to evaluate their use in planning crop development strategies to avoid frost and moisture deficit at three locations.

In the first experiment, base temperatures and D° requirements were calculated for four phases from planting to grain-filling, on the basis of linear temperature-development rate responses measured in the field at Tamworth, N.S.W. The phenological pattern of each species was predicted for several planting dates at locations representing the north-west slopes, northern tablelands and an intermediate region, by using long-term mean daily temperatures and calculated Do requirements. From these predictions and long-term mean daily rainfall and pan evaporation rates, the available soil moisture depletion was estimated for each planting date. For each location, planting date strategies for both species were evaluated for avoidance of frost and moisture deficit. The predicted optimum planting dates for B. napus and B. campestris were, respectively, 20 June and 5 August for the north-west slopes, 20 August and 1 October for the northern tablelands, and 30 June and 18 August for the intermediate region. In the second experiment, the influence of planting date on the grain yield of B. campestris and B. napus was studied in several seasons at each of the locations studied in the first experiment. The planting date that gave the highest yield varied between species and locations. B. campestris was favoured by later dates than B. napus. For both species these dates were earliest on the north-west slopes and latest on the northern tablelands. Yields of B. napus were higher than those of B. campestris at all locations when each species was planted at a favourable time.

Predicted optimum planting dates from experiment 1 are discussed in relation to the field results from experiment 2.

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*Part I, Aust. J. Agric. Res., 29: 693 (1978).