Protect Your Investment

Reports of canola harvested so far indicate that seed moisture content is ‘dry’ (below 10%). It is important to remember that canola storage can be a concern even at seed moisture levels considered dry when the canola is binned at high temperatures or when there is a lot of ‘foreign’ material (e.g. green weed seeds). Canola seeds can respire for up to six weeks and can begin to develop moist and hot spots within the bin which can then cause the seed to heat. Although the canola seed might test dry, the presence of green material (e.g. weeds or chaff or insects such as grasshoppers) within the respiring canola can cause heating. Canola should be stored in aeration bins whenever possible and the aeration should be used to bring down the temperature of binned canola. Research in Australia has shown that the higher the oil content of the canola, the more critical it is to get seed moisture contents down to prevent spoilage in the bin. Canola should be conditioned to below 15 °C and 8% moisture for long term storage. More information on storing canola can be found at the following link:http://www.canolacouncil.org/contents12.aspx