Uneven Canola Maturity Potentially Poses Problems

 

Farmers seem generally pleased with this year’s Canola crop.

 

Daphne Cruise a Regional Crop Specialist says uneven maturity can be a challenge - especially this year with the lodged crops:

 

"We're tending to get the top part of the crop that is mature. Towards the bottom, a lot of the crop still needs time to mature. It's hard, but we have to try and assess the field where the majority of the yield is at for maturity., As well, assess what amount of time you have, and how many canola acres left to go over. At that point, some of the crop may need to be taken earlier, and some later," she said.

 

When it comes to cutting canola producers want to see a 60 to 70 % seed colour change in the crop.

 

Daphne Cruise a Regional Crop Specialist says producers should be looking for the colour change on the main stem.

 

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.