It's been a year of high disease pressure for crops in Manitoba, and it's causing some challenges for harvest management of canola.
Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialist Angela Brackenreed says disease issues and lodging caused by weather have created some problems for producers trying to swath canola. While high disease pressure can be frustrating when it comes to cutting the crop, Brackenreed says it's important to focus on the healthy parts of the field.
"That can be a lot easier said than done, but just keep in mind those diseased areas or highly diseased areas of the field are likely not producing or contributing all that much to yield at the end of the day, so we really don't want to sacrifice the good parts of the field by swathing too early and trying to save those diseased areas," she says.
Brackenreed says it takes patience when cutting difficult fields, and in cases of badly lodged crops, sometimes producers will need to play with the cutting angle or reel speed.
"I think anyone who's sat in the combine knows the frustration of a swath that isn't laid out well," she says. "There are situations where if it's really not dividing well, and making a mess in the field, that maybe straight cutting would be a better option, but that's for each individual producer to determine."
Source : Portageonline