Protect Your Investment

Combining of canola is beginning in the earliest fields in the southern prairies. Reports so far indicate that canola seed moisture content is ‘dry’ (below 10%). It is important to remember that canola storage can be a concern even at seed moisture levels considered dry when the canola is binned at high temperatures or when there is a lot of ‘foreign’ material. Canola seeds can respire for up to six weeks and can begin to develop moist and hot spots within the bin, which then cause the seed to heat. Although the canola seed might test dry, the presence of green material (e.g. weeds or chaff or insects such as grasshoppers) within the respiring canola can cause heating. Canola should be stored in aeration bins whenever possible and the aeration should be used to bring down the temperature of binned canola. Canola in the bin should be conditioned to below 15 °C and 8% moisture for long term storage. More information on storing canola can be found at the following link:http://www.canolacouncil.org/contents12.aspx