When harvest is slowed by rainy, cool days, combining often occurs in short spurts. In those spurts, the first and last loads of the day are often tough. This can mean an increased storage risk. Condition these bins with aeration to even out moisture and temperature. Consider filling bins to only two-thirds capacity to allow for improved air flow…
Harvest and Storage
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You have two choices in this situation: Swath now or wait. Swathing now might prevent further seed loss if severe frost damage will soon cause pods to pop open and pedicels to snap. You could have shriveled seeds and high green counts, but that might be better than the potential losses from waiting. But if frost did not kill the…
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The best method, even with bin monitoring cables, is to remove about a third of the canola. This disrupts the moisture cycle and helps to stop any heating or spoilage that may have begun in the central core. While unloading, feel and smell canola as it comes out of the bin…
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Crop with a heavy lean may require some trial and error to test the best angle of attack. Some operators will prefer going perpendicular to the lean; some will prefer going into the lean. With straight cutting, you can go whatever direction works best for crop flow…
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Not really from a storage risk perspective. When canola is very dry, one risk is that seed could start to crack if handled aggressively…
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Leaving canola to ripen naturally can work well for straight combining and it saves the extra pass and cost of pre-harvest applications. But canola left to ripen naturally will have somewhat tougher and greener plant material than a swathed crop would, even when seeds are cured and ready to combine…
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The combination of swathing canola too early (low seed-colour change) and swathing during a stretch of hot weather can lead to rapid curing that leaves green counts elevated. By leaving the crop standing until 60% seed colour change on the main stem, this should reduce the amount of green immature seeds on side branches, which will reduce the green-seed risk…