Spread residue evenly in fields planned for canola in 2012

Good canola stand establishment, especially in direct seeding situations, starts with straw and chaff management for the previous crop. Spreading residue evenly across the field is critical.

If the combine can’t spread cereal chaff and straw evenly across the width of cut, one option is to drop the straw and bale it. Another option is to use a heavy harrow to spread the straw. Delay heavy harrowing until the straw is dry enough to allow even distribution and minimize piling up and bunching of the straw.

One exception to this strategy for managing crop residue may be fields where a small patch of clubroot has been identified, as heavy harrowing may move enough infested soil to spread those clubroot spores throughout the field.

Click here for the library of residue management articles from the Reduced Tillage Linkages website.