Quiz – Preventing profit loss

1. You clip these blackleg-infected stems from a field of canola. What would be the estimated yield loss if the whole field looks like this?

2. A field is scattered with brown plants and patches that are ripening prematurely. Scouting has identified sclerotinia stem rot as the cause, and found incidence to be about one plant in 20 across the field. Should this field be swathed earlier to stop the disease from getting worse?

3. Seed colour change is only 30 per cent on the main stem but the daytime highs are over 30°C. Is this one exception where early swathing is recommended?

4. You see pods with this damage. Should you spray it immediately with an insecticide (as long as that insecticide has an appropriate pre-harvest interval)?

5. Combine losses are this amount per square foot. (See the image.) If the cut width is 30 feet and the combine discharge width is 6 feet, how much canola is the combine throwing over?