Canola Watch 2021 exam – Section 5 – Harvest and storage

The Canola Watch 2021 annual exam for Certified Crop Advisors and Certified Crop Science Consultants (and anyone else who wants to enhance their agronomy skills) has five sections:

• 4R nutrient management (20 questions and 2 CEUs)
• Seed decisions: Choose the best cultivar for each field (10 questions and 1 CEU)
• Plant establishment: Achieve a uniform 5 to 8 plants per square foot (10 questions and 1 CEU)
• Pest management: Identify and manage the top yield robbers (20 questions and 2 CEUs)
• Harvest and storage: Deliver every seed at No.1 grade (10 questions and 1 CEU)

Find them all here.

Customize the exam based on credits you need. Credits will apply in either 2021 or 2022, depending on when you pass each section. For those who pass, Canola Watch will submit names and program ID numbers to the program to have the credits counted.

For questions or additional information on this exam, please contact Jay Whetter at 807-468-4006 or whetterj@canolacouncil.org.

Section 5: Harvest and storage

The ideal end-of-season objectives are to give all seeds time to mature, harvest with minimal losses and store canola without spoilage. By harvesting all seeds and delivering them at No.1 grade, growers capture the greatest value from the crop.

This section has 10 questions on that theme. Answers will be found in Canola Watch content from 2021 as well as supporting resources from Canola Encyclopedia, Canola Research Hub and more.

Achieve a minimum score of 70 per cent (7 out of 10) to receive 2 Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) or Certified Crop Science Consultant (CCSC) continuing education credits (CEUs). Specific credits for CCAs are: 0.5 CEU in crop management and 0.5 CEU in sustainability. CCA tracking number SS 55307.

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About you

1. REQUIRED - Your full name:

2. Your CCA number: (Leave blank if not applicable)

3. Your CCSC number: (Leave blank if not applicable.)

4. REQUIRED - Email address:

5. Phone number:

6. REQUIRED - What region best describes your work territory?

Manitoba

Saskatchewan

Alberta

Other Canadian province

Outside Canada

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The exam

7. Results from a CCC grower survey in 2020-21 suggest that many farmers are cutting canola too early, so this question is timely: The Canola Watch Fundamentals article “Swath later for higher yield” says canola fields swathed at 50 to 60 per cent seed colour change (SCC) on the main stem can yield at least eight per cent more than fields swathed at 30 to 40 per cent SCC, according to Canola Council of Canada research from 2001-02. The yield increase is ___ per cent if you can hold off until 60 to 70 per cent SCC. (Fill in the blank.)

9

11

13

15

8. Another Canola Watch Fundamentals article called “Harvesting thin, low-yielding canola: common questions” was timely in 2021. One common question was about adjusting the combine to limit losses. The answer noted that increased ground speed can help but ______________ will likely limit how fast you can go. (Fill in the blank.)

Engine temperature

Header performance

Operator comfort

Separator capacity

9. The Canola Watch post “Topics for August 25, 2021” includes a link to an IHARF research report "Pre-harvest herbicide and desiccation options for straight-combining canola" at the Canola Research Hub. The study measured how often a pre-harvest product would provide a noticeable benefit. Results found that diquat provided the most consistent dry-down benefits, reducing plant moisture content at ___ per cent of the site-years. (Fill in the blank.)

55

72

83

97

10. In August, Canola Watch talked about precocious germination of canola seeds inside pods. The Canola Watch article “Sprouting canola seeds: Causes” says one cause is hot weather, which leads to a hormone response that triggers sprouting. What is the name of the hormone responsible?

Abscisic acid

Auxin

Cytokinin

Giberellic acid

11. A Canola Watch podcast on “Harvest loss tips” included a discussion (starting just after the 37:00 mark) on whether to measure losses with the chopper/spreader engaged or disengaged. Guest Marcel Kringe suggests the operator do both. Why?

Combine wind physics can change with the chopper/spreader engaged versus disengaged.

Losses tend to increase with the chopper engaged, so the operator wants to know the loss levels under normal operation.

It gives the operator more practice on engaging and disengaging, so the job gets faster and easier.

Disengaging the chopper/spreader shifts the weight balance and makes a slight but significant change to sieve angles.

12. The Canola Watch “Topics for September 8” article leads with a video that gives a short tour showing how to use the Canola Calculator’s Harvest loss tool. In the video, Shawn Senko enters all the parameters involved in his hypothetical loss measurement, including 25g of seed collected in his drop pan. In Shawn’s example, what is his calculated combine loss in bu./ac.?

0.5

1.0

2.0

3.5

13. The September 1 Canola Watch quiz has this question: A good drought-management strategy is to cut stubble as high as possible and leave it standing to catch and retain snow. In dry conditions, snow trapped in stubble and available to infiltrate in the spring __________ when you increase stubble height from 10 cm (4”) to 20 cm (8”). (Fill in the blank.)

Decreases

Stays the same

Increases somewhat

Doubles

14. Canola Watch 2021 added an article called "Canola as feed: Economics and tips" to address a timely (but hopefully rare) question about the feed value of canola cut as hay. The article describes the feed value of canola and provides hay harvest tips. Quality of canola hay is best when the crop is cut at what stage?

Six-leaf to bolting

Early flowering

Full flowering to early pod

60 per cent seed colour change

15. In 2021, the Canola Research Hub added results from a PAMI study "On-farm canola storage research in large bins". Which of the following was an important discovery from this study?

Typical fans may not provide the required airflow when large bins are filled to the top.

Storage risk with large bins is reduced with a gravity-driven spreader to level the grain peak.

Safe storage recommendations developed 20-30 years ago do not apply to large bins.

To keep canola safe in storage, it should not be kept in bins larger than 5,000 bushels.

16. The October 6 Canola Watch “Topics for the month” describes a storage risk factor that was particularly noteworthy for harvest 2021. What was it?

Green dockage

Hot canola

High-moisture canola

Weed seeds

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