Harvesting at 30°C: Cool that canola!

Canola storage experts recommend that hot canola be put on aeration for cooling – even if it’s dry. That’s because air currents within the bin can concentrate moisture at the bottom of the central core — creating a possible start point for heating.

The right bins for canola

Fan capacity is an important consideration in a canola bin. Airflow of 0.1 to 0.2 cfm/bu is needed to condition (cool) a bin of canola. If adding supplemental heat to dry canola, airflow of at least 0.75 cubic feet per minute per bushel is recommended. If fan size is insufficient for the job, fill the bins part way to improve airflow.

Pre-harvest products for use in canola

Straight-combining canola can be made easier with a pre-harvest herbicide. Here are the options: glyphosate, Heat LQ/glyphosate and Reglone (diquat).

Swath timing for higher yield: Check seed colour change

Optimal swath timing for canola yield and quality is when at least 60% of seeds on the main stem are showing some colour change. Seed colour change (SCC) is considered any amount of yellow or brown on the seed. (See scouting tips below.) This increases crop yield because side branches have longer to fill and average seed size for the whole plant is larger.

What can you do with lodged canola?

1. Green and bendable canola stems can often straighten up again (somewhat) if lodged due to wind and heavy rain.
2. If lodged due to disease, these plants are unlikely to straighten up. Plants lodged this early due to disease usually contribute little to yield once harvest rolls around.
3. Lodged plants can be more susceptible to spread of sclerotinia stem rot and alternaria from plant to plant.
4. Lodging can influence harvest management decisions, including whether to swath or straight combine the crop.

Insects in spring-harvested canola

Some farmers harvesting crops this spring have noticed higher numbers of insects in their samples. These are primarily seed-eating carabid beetles and fungus-eating beetles (shown above).