Department of Agronomy

Canola

Canola is an alternative winter broadleaf crop grown in the wheat-based cropping systems of Kansas. Canola is most commonly grown in rotation with wheat in south central Kansas where wheat is often grown continuously. However, canola can be found throughout the state in rotation with soybean, corn, and sorghum. As a crop that uses water during cooler periods of the growing season, canola has a fit in southwest Kansas under deficit irrigation. Canola is a tap-rooted crop that can extract soil moisture and nutrients from deeper depths while leaving a fertile seedbed for double cropping following harvest.

Canola produces both edible oil and meal. Significant demand for canola oil makes it the second most widely consumed cooking oil in the United States behind soybean. Canola oil bears a qualified health claim stating consumption can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

View the canola crop performance tests

Canola Production Handbook

Canola is a type of edible rapeseed genetically low in erucic acid and glucosinolates. The seeds are a source of healthy cooking oil and high-protein meal for livestock. A growing number of winter-hardy varieties, suitable for the southern Great Plains, are commercially available. This publication discusses aspects of canola production including field and variety selection, seeding rates, stand establishment, crop growth and development, fertility, weed, insect, and disease management, harvest, grain storage, cost-return projections, and insurance.

Read the Great Plains Canola Production Handbook (pdf)

Harvest Management of Canola

Canola harvest requires appropriate timing and management of operations. Because canola is prone to shattering, harvest planning must begin well before the crop is ripe. The longer a ripe canola crop stands in the field, the greater the risk for shattering by wind and severe weather.

Read about canola harvest management (pdf)

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