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Default to waiting. Don’t make a snap decision to swath. Before taking any harvest action, start with this sequence…
Harvest and Storage
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Always inspect seeds in side-branches as well, particularly in fields with low plant populations that have a large amount of branching… -
How many days delayed am I going to be with straight combining versus swathing? It depends on your expectation of “ready". This article describes three scenarios… -
Measure combine losses and then make adjustments to limit those losses. This puts more canola in the bin and reduces the volunteer canola seedbank in your fields…
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Once canola plants are swathed, the seed does not continue to fill. Seed that is swathed before accumulating its full complement of oil and protein will not accumulate any more after swathing, resulting in potential yield loss… -
A pre-harvest spray to help prepare canola for straight combining may not be required if hot, dry days allow for dry down of the crop and weeds. Two recent studies from Western Canada found cases where these applications were not necessary…
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Lodging is when plants fall over, making them more difficult to harvest. Key plant characteristics that affect lodging risk are the strength of the stem and anchorage, canopy height and canopy weight. Length and stiffness of the tap root is an important characteristic determining anchorage strength… -
Canola fields swathed at 60 per cent seed colour change (SCC) on the main stem can yield eight per cent more than fields swathed at 30 per cent SCC, according to Canola Council of Canada research…
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What is the goal with a pre-harvest application? This article discusses tips and solutions for weed control versus desiccation. If the problem is uneven fields, swathing is the best choice…
