An important factor in canola stand establishment next spring is the crop residue situation this fall. An even mat of cereal residue is preferable to clumpy distribution that can affect drill performance, seed survival and overall crop uniformity next year. Fall is the best time to make sure residue is spread evenly. A properly adjusted combine straw chopper and spreader…
Equipment
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High cereal yields last year mean more residue issues this spring. If the drill cannot cut through or dig under the residue to place seed into soil, then some sort of residue management may be the lesser of two evils. We ran a survey the past two weeks asking Canola Watch readers for their thoughts on effective spring management for…
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1. Date. Record the date and also the time of day that each crop was seeded. Comparing seeding dates, and cross referencing that with soil temperature and moisture conditions, can help determine future decisions with regard to ideal time of seeding and management steps that could be taken to reduce risks for early seeding. Time of day could be useful…
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Some air drills can cause costly levels of seed damage if the fan speed is too high. Cracked seed will not germinate. Inspect the quality of seed in the tank to make sure the loading auger isn’t causing the damage. Next, use the sock test (watch the video above) to check the state of seed as it exits the opener…
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Dry soils will be difficult to penetrate, and tillage will destroy standing stubble and its snow-catching capability. We can’t predict winter weather, but this extra moisture may be valuable next spring. Turning the soil can also cause a heavy flush of weeds from long buried seeds that have lost their dormancy, and burial of weed seeds and shattered canola seed…
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After broadcast seeding, including seeding by plane or helicopter, fields must be harrowed to loosen the soil surface and provide seed to soil contact. Canola seed is very light and does not embed into the soil, even if dropped from an airplane at high speed…
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If growers have to seed by plane because the field is too wet for a broadcast floater, that means it’s probably also too wet for weed control, fertilizing and harrowing — each important to a profitable broadcast canola crop…