Canola School: Timing, tools, and traits to get more canola in the bin

Описание: Harvest decisions in canola often come down to one key question: swath or straight cut? The challenge lies in balancing risk, weather variability, and hybrid traits to ensure as much yield as possible makes it safely into storage.

In this episode of RealAgriculture's Canola School, BASF technical service specialist Leigh-Ann Harder joins Amber Bell to talk about how growers can protect yield potential right through to the bin.

Harder emphasizes that the decision starts early, with hybrid selection in the spring. Choosing varieties with pod shatter reduction traits, now offered by many seed companies, gives growers more flexibility at harvest. “At the end of the day, I think it’s making sure that you’re protecting your yield when it comes time to harvest,” she explains.

When it comes to timing, Harder notes that swathing before 60 percent seed colour change can cause yield and quality issues, while waiting too long can increase risk from frost or variable maturity. Straight cutting offers efficiency, especially with pod shatter hybrids, but still requires careful evaluation of staging, weather, and stand uniformity. “It ultimately comes down to risk mitigation for that grower, and what they’re seeing in their own field,” she says.

Regional differences also influence decisions. While straight cutting has gained popularity across the Prairies, swathing remains common in northern regions where longer growing seasons and heavy biomass can make dry-down challenging.

Pre-harvest aids, whether herbicides or desiccants, provide additional tools for weed control and crop dry-down, but growers need to follow label directions closely.

Harder’s advice for harvest: stay safe, weigh risks carefully, and take advantage of evolving technologies — from pod shatter to new traits — to get more canola into the bin.


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