Late-season hail: What to do?

Late season hail can damage pods and increase the shattering risk for those pods. Before jumping the gun and swathing too early, take these decision-making steps: 1. Assess where most of the crop yield will come from. If most of the yield will come from undamaged pods lower in the canopy, swathing after 50-60% seed…

Late season hail can damage pods and increase the shattering risk for those pods. Before jumping the gun and swathing too early, take these decision-making steps: 1. Assess where most of the crop yield will come from. If most of the yield will come from undamaged pods lower in the canopy, swathing at 50 to…

The later hail occurs in the season, the more damage it can do to yield. Canola can keep flowering to compensate from hail that occurs during flowering. And plants that were past flowering can start to regrow, going through flowering stages again. But these very late plants often cannot mature in time. Harvest planning for…

The later hail occurs in the season, the more damage it can do to yield. Crops not mowed down by hail can see some yield recovery. Flowering canola will keep flowering to compensate (to some extent) for flowers and branches lost to hail. Hailed plants that were past flowering can start to regrow, going through…