Issues of the week

High green seed counts have been reported in some fields. To restart the chlorophyll-clearing enzymes, canola seed needs to get back above 20% moisture. Reasonably warm temperatures, ideally at least 15 C, are also needed for significant de-greening. Growers have time to wait for these conditions, but the article below outlines the risks.

Frost is forecast for later this week, and some areas already received frost one or two nights over the past few days. Any crops not in the swath already and that need more time to mature are probably best left standing to see what the frost amounts to. However, if frost is heavy, cutting may need to occur within a day to avoid shattering and preserve yield.

Soil testing right after combining will help determine whether this year’s canola ran out of nutrients.

With harvest in full swing, we’re going to skip a week of Canola Watch. The theme for September 26 Canola Watch will be: “What happened to canola yields in 2012 and what effects, if any, can be expected to carryover to 2013?” Email Jay Whetter at whetterj@canolacouncil.org if you have topics you’d like to see covered.