Should I use a pod-sealant?

Questions continue about pod sealants. Limited western Canadian research to date has produced variable results. If farmers do use them, leave a test strip as a comparison and an assessment can be made to see if the sealant made a difference on yield. Ensure application timing is optimal and water volumes are adequate to maximize the odds for success. Crops that are hail damaged or have a high disease incidence, such as alternaria, may not be good candidates for a pod-sealant. Lesions or hail scars on pods have damaged the outer waxy layer and the physical integrity of the pods and have increased the risk of pod shattering and have the potential to disrupt the pod-sealant’s effectiveness.