Flattened by snow

Photo credit: Garth Donald
Photo credit: Garth Donald

Canola fields flattened by snow last week are unlikely to spring back. If they’re still flat, they’ll be staying flat. There is no easy way to harvest this crop, but these tips may help:

—Test a few angles when cutting into the field. Swathing at a 45° angle to the lay of the crop may make it easier — somewhat — to move up and down the field. Nobody wants to cut a field only in one direction.
—Consider lifters on the cutterbar. This helps keep the swather low without digging in and helps lift crop off the ground so you’re cutting near the bottom of the stem, not half way up.

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