Canola Swathing Continues

Sources-portageonline.

Around a quarter of canola acres on the eastern side of the province is laying in swath, and a lot more is expected to be cut before the end of the week.

"The western side is a little bit further behind, but generally speaking the earlier seeded crop is getting knocked down," says Kristin Phillips, agronomist with the Canola Council of Canada. "I'm expecting a big week, with probably 50 to 60 percent of the early seeded crop getting swathed."

The Canola Council recommends growers cut the crop when 50 to 60 percent of the seed has changed colour.

"Don't just go on the pod colour change. We are seeing quite a bit of sun scald out there and it's deceiving unless you walk into the field and open the pods," she says.

Harvest has started on the earliest seeded canola fields in the eastern and central parts of the province. Early yield reports range anywhere from 15 to 50 bushels per acre.

She says growers who broadcast seeded and were unable to incorporate the seed into the ground due to wet conditions are seeing a noticeable difference in yield.

"Sowing it with airseeder or drill was by far the best method. Anybody that broadcast seeded and incorporated it had a very good stand, but any field that got broadcast and did not get incorporated, it just didn't have the root system to support itself, especially as it got hot into July."