Issues of the week

Canola yield tends to be higher when swathing occurs at 50-60% seed colour change on the main stem — or later if significant shattering can be avoided — so growers can give uneven fields extra time for pods on later plants to mature. Straight combining is another option, but it works best on crops that have relatively even maturity and are thick and well-knitted to reduce potential for wind damage.

Insect threats have diminished to below economic levels for most regions, and if canola will be swathed or straight combined within the next week, it’s too late for insecticide application anyway. The pre-harvest interval (PHI) has passed, and any applications within the PHI could put our whole industry at risk.

This week we have tips for swathing diseased crop, for straight combining, and for pre-harvest herbicide application.