Swathing begins for earliest canola

It’s mid July, and some very early canola is already being swathed in parts of Manitoba. Waiting until 60% seed colour change on the main stem will result in the highest yields because more seeds have a chance to fill completely. In warm dry conditions, canola matures quickly and seed colour change can increase by 10 percentage points in 3 days or less. Ideally, growers should wait at least until all seeds on side branches are firm and roll between finger and thumb before swathing.