Wild radish is a prevalent annual weed throughout the cropping regions of southern Australia. Field experiments were conducted at Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, in 1998 and 1999 to determine the effect of various densities and emergence times of wild radish on yield and quality of canola and on wild radish seed production. As few as 4 wild radish m⁻² emerging with canola reduced canola yield 9 to 11%, whereas 64 wild radish m⁻² reduced canola yield 77 to 91%. Wild radish interference in canola was greatly affected by its time of emergence relative to canola. At 64 wild radish m⁻², canola yield was reduced 77, 54, 33, and 19% in 1998 and 91, 65, 56, and 19% in 1999 when wild radish emerged 0, 2, 4, and 7 wk after canola, respectively. Wild radish that emerged 10 wk after canola did not reduce canola yield. Maximum wild radish seed production ranged from 24,183 to 32,167 seed m⁻² when they emerged with canola at high densities. Wild radish that emerged later than canola produced much less seed, but some seed production still occurred in one of the 2 yr when it emerged as late as 10 wk after canola. Wild radish did not directly reduce canola quality in either year, but if wild radish seed were not separated from canola seed, the amount of erucic acid and glucosinolates was increased above marketable levels in some cases. The results of this study will be used to advise growers on wild radish control in canola and will aid the development of a multiyear management strategy for this troublesome weed in annual cropping systems.

Nomenclature: Wild radish, Raphanus raphanistrum L. RAPRA; canola, Brassica napus L. ‘Oscar’.