Northam Competition by weeds in canola crops can seriously reduce yield and oil content, particularly if the crop is growing poorly for other reasons.
Some weeds can also contaminate the canola seed.
Contamination by wild radish or wild turnip seeds could jeopardise the future of the industry in Western Australia. Triazine-tolerant varieties of canola allow most weeds to be controlled with triazine herbicides, such as atrazine or simazine. However, they are lower yielding and should be planted only where there are no options for weed control in normal varieties. Excessive use of triazine herbicides will result in the development of resistant weed populations. Paddock selection Paddocks with heavy infestations of radish, mustard or turnip should be avoided.