CANOLA QUIZ – Loss

Four questions on the topic of loss: Soil moisture loss, storage loss and combine loss – with tips to prevent all three.

1. A good drought-management strategy is to cut stubble as high as possible and leave it standing to catch and retain snow. In dry conditions, snow trapped in stubble and available to infiltrate in the spring __________ when you increase stubble height from 10 cm (4”) to 20 cm (8”). (Fill in the blank.)
2. Phillip Harder, with the Centre for Hydrology at the U of S, says stubble also "drastically reduces” sublimation from the snowpack in the middle of winter. Sublimation is the change in water phase from solid to vapour – so basically a gassing off of the precious water. Harder says sublimation can result in the loss of up to ___% of the annual snowfall in parts of Saskatchewan. (Fill in the blank.)
3. What are possible canola storage risks for this year? Check all that apply.
4. When combining a thin canola crop with less bulk than usual, losses out the back of the combine can actually increase if settings are not adjusted. Which of the following is one adjustment to consider if crop is thin?