QUIZ – Harvest management

1. You see a suspicious patch of problem weeds at harvest time. If possible, avoid putting these weeds through the combine – because the combine is very good at spreading weed seeds and making patches much, much bigger. This is especially bad when the patch is herbicide-resistant weeds. Which of the following is a clue that these particular weeds may be resistant?

2. You heard reports of higher levels of blackleg. You also heard that verticillium stripe might be getting more common in the area. So you’re checking fields for disease. You clip a stem just below ground level and see a greyish hue across the entire cut. Between blackleg and verticillium stripe, which would more likely cause this symptom?

3. Frost is in the forecast. Should you swath now?

4. You think the combine sample might be too clean. It might mean too many small seeds are blowing out the back of the combine. What does the Combine Optimization Tool (Grain Sample Quality option) suggest is the first thing to do if the sample is too clean?