Global seed innovator, Nuseed is equipping Australian canola growers and their advisers with the knowledge and tools to make more informed decisions on pod shatter tolerance when selecting varieties.

A key gripe for growers, recent grower research conducted by Nuseed found more than half of those surveyed (at 55 per cent) are seeking increased pod shatter resistance due to its impact on productivity through seed loss and reduced yields.

Opening new horizons for sustainable and profitable canola farming, Nuseed has developed new technology and methodology to measure pod shatter while also bringing to market commercial varieties with improved tolerance. 

Nuseed senior analytical chemist Jason McAllister said development of a scientific methodology for rating canola varieties on pod shatter tolerance will tangibly help growers mitigate risks by making more informed crop planning decisions.

“Not only does it give growers and their advisers data-driven information to select varieties on pod shatter tolerance, alongside other desirable traits such as yield, oil levels and disease resistance, but it also helps our plant breeders bring new seed products to market with shatter resistant canola lines,” Mr McAllister.

Nuseed has channelled its R&D into developing a robust shaking methodology.

“Over the years, the industry has relied on a number of in-field and lab-based methods, which have had varying levels of success,” he said.

“Realising the industry needed a simple and reproducible test with a high degree of accuracy, our team of Nuseed scientists developed a method that has not only proven to be accurate, consistent and repeatable, but can grade plant lines.”

With many variables to consider, in terms of the impact of pod maturity and the shape, length and quality of the pod itself on shatter resistance, Mr McAllister says humidity is also a significant factor.

“You can change a pod shatter result dramatically with humidity and of course, pod size and disease can impact that as well.”

To control these variables, as well as those in the lab, Nuseed have rigorously tested and refined their methodology, which includes conducting the test over three different time intervals to see how fast the pods shatter over each respective period.

“The first step of the process involves collecting 30 representative pods from one mature canola plant, which we then sub-sample by selecting 20 pods,” he says.

“The pods are then pre-conditioned in an oven at 40 degrees for 24 hours to standardise their moisture content, which allows us to assess the worst this plant line is going to perform.”

After placing the pods in a plastic container, Mr McAllister says they then load the containers into the Geno/Grinder whereby the pods are shaken in a vertical up-down motion at 1000 RPM at 30, 60 and 90 seconds.

“We then score each 20-pod sample according to the amount of seed loss that occurs after each time period, at which point they are ranked via a rating scale from susceptible through to tolerant.”

Nuseed regional market development manager, Michael Hickey said this methodology helps growers and advisers compare canola varieties on their relative levels of pod shatter tolerance and enabled Nuseed to develop new varieties with enhanced resistance levels.

“Our recently-released Nuseed Hunter TF variety has enhanced pod shatter tolerance, which will flow into better returns with the varieties’ improved yield and oil content.

“Farmers no longer have to rely on anecdotal evidence or historical performance, rather their selection can be based on the inherent pod shatter resistance of specific canola varieties.”

Armed with this knowledge, Mr Hickey says farmers can now optimise their crop planning.

“This includes selecting the most suitable canola varieties for specific paddocks, and tailoring planting schedules – such as planting those most susceptible to pod shatter first – to minimise susceptibility.”

Mr Hickey says advisers also play a key role, by steering growers towards varieties requiring fewer resources and inputs for mitigating pod shatter.

“This has wide-ranging benefits right across the industry, as not only does it lead to less waste, with reduced seed loss, it also boosts profitability with higher yields and lower production costs for growers.”