What is Canola?
Canola is a flowering plant. It is a member of a large family of plants called crucifers. Crucifers are easy to identify because they four flower petals form the shape of a cross. Canola belongs to one section, or genera, of the crucifer family called the genus Brassica. Some of the Brassica plants that you may already know are the mustard plant, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and turnip. Brassica plants are a major source of food in many countries.
Developing of Canola
Canadian scientists developed the canola plant from another Brassica plant called rapeseed. In ancient civilizations, oil from the rapeseed plant was used in lamps and as cooking oil. Following World War 2, Canadian plant breeders started a program to genetically modify rapeseed. They wanted to develop a plant that produced healthier oil by preventing the plants from making and depositing unwanted substances in their seeds. This new plant was called canola.
Growing Canola
Most of Canada’s crop is grown in the western provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Small amounts are grown in other provinces. Canola is a cool-season crop that grows particularly well on the Prairies where the cool night temperatures allow it to recover from hot days. Canola is grown in the same way we grow wheat or barley. Fields are seeded and fertilized. When needed, pesticides are applied to control insects, weeds, and diseases. When the plants produce flowers, the Prairie fields are a sea of brilliant yellow flowers.
The Canola Plant
The basic parts of a canola plant include
1. Roots
2. Cotyledon
3. Leaves
4. Stem
5. Pistil
6. Flowers
Plant Stages
On the farm these plants grow to a height of 1m to 2m tall. In a classroom, with different growing conditions, they will probably not grow higher than 1m. The yellow flower produces seedpods that are about 5cm in length. Each seedpod contains 20-30 tiny round seeds.
Growth Stages
The life cycle of a canola plant begins and ends with a seed. In the field, this cycle takes approximately 3 1/2 months. The life cycle depends upon temperature, moisture, sunlight and nutrition. It is expected that this cycle will take less time in a classroom. Figure 4 shows the growth stages of the canola plant.
Uses for Canola
Canola has become a very important crop for Canadian farmers. Each canola seed contains about 40 percent oil. The seeds are crushed to obtain the oil, which is used as cooking or salad oil, or processed into margarine. Canola oil is also used in the manufacture of many other products such as inks and cosmetics. The canola meal, the part left over after the seeds are crushed, is used as feed for livestock. Scientists are also developing industrial used for canola oil as possible machinery and fuel oil.
Steps to grow your own indoor canola plant
Step 1- Preparing the Soil
Start by measuring out good quality topsoil. You can add fertilizer to the topsoil if you like, but it is not necessary. The topsoil should have enough nutrients for the canola plants.
Step 2- Filling the Pots
Fill each plant pot with soil (without compressing it) until the soil is level with the top of the container. Once the planting pot is full, press down on the soil with your fingers until the level of the soil is about 1cm below the top of the pot.
Step 3- Wetting the Soil
After all your plant pots are full, place them in a sink or pan with 2-3 cm of water in it. Allow the plant pots to sit in water until the soil becomes saturated. Once the soil is saturated, remove the pots from the water. You are now ready to plant your seeds.
Step 4- Planting the canola seeds
Using a sharp end of a pencil, place a 1cm hole in the soil, in the center of each plant pot. Take a canola seed and place it in the hole. Only one seed should be planted in each plant pot. Place the planted seeds in light.
Caring for your canola plant
The key to successful canola plants is to make sure you plants are treated with care. In the early stages of growth, your canola plants will not require a lot of water. However, once your plants have produced 4-5 true leaves, their water requirements will increase. Check the plants on a daily basis to ensure that the soil is moist but not soaking wet.
How to get Canola Seeds
Contact Manitoba Canola Growers for your own seed sample.
Mail your request to:
Manitoba Canola Growers Association
400-167 Lombard Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3B 0T6
Phone: (204) 982-2122
Email: info@mcgacanola.org
