How green should you cut Canola?

[sumdumguy]

First year for Canola, need SOUND advice.

[Braveheart]

IF you gotta swath, once all seeds are firm enough to roll between your fingers, go. If the seeds squish, you'll have considerable shrinkage.

It will be enough shrink to make a man at the beach on a cool day proud.

[Hopperbin]

I did not get the man on beach joke guess maybe gotta be there :-). How I learned when young andndo to this day. You want a few pods shattering when you swath Possibly Iits just the diseased ones but preferibly no disease and a some shattering going on. Hot day is bad cool is better. Night time is better than day even if there is no shattering. Swath before frost even on the early side. Too green will take longer to cure. If swathed at correct time 8 days may be sufficient.
But I would not like to bin it. Good for delivery though. I am honest.:-) hot weather hold on cool weather jump ahead. Check for pod shatter and things can ripen very fast. Did lots of night swathing. But let it ripen. Swath before frost.

[TOM4CWB]

SDG,

Different varieties have colour changes on the outside... so checking the seeds is the true test. Swathing at night and morning gives the least shatter if disease prematurely ripens some plants.

The main Canola stem should have some seed colour change on at least 50 percent in these seeds in the bottom pods... average of plants. Side branches seeds will be green yet in many instances... but at least should be firm when you roll these seeds between your fingers. If rainy cool weather is forecast for a week into the future... they will fill out nicely.

Try to make a smooth even swath... with stems underneath and pods on top. Best to keep the reel up out of the canola as much as possible.

I have found going at a 90 degree sideways makes tough feeding off the dividers... so East West has been the direction this year on our crops. Going east Canola is laying away from the table but flips up and on in an orderly manner. Going west the cut is all leaning into the header... and the reel isn't needed to make it feed... if you have good dividers. With right reel and d****r speeds... 7-8mph can work if all is going well!

Good swathing! A smooth swath makes easy combining and fast dry down after showers!

[fjlip]

Wow first year SDG, 44 years on this farm, what has been your Cinderella crop/animal/mineral? This area is 50% canola, like most of AB.

[freewheat]

Depends on forecast as others said. But look at the seeds, not the plant color. It is different every year. I have a pretty green field that will get cut the moment frost is forecast, even if it is "too early". A few days in the swath does help before a frost, no doubt.

[sumdumguy]

We have been Lentil, Canaryseed, non-board wheat since 1980. Newly-purchased land (2006) became Mustard/American Wheat rotation-works on that farm. Now trying some Canola, don't know why. We were up to our necks in debt after impulsive 1980 land purchase and Lentils
S saved our back ends. Love those babies and Al Slinkard. Its been a blast, now we sort of watch the next generation and help wherever we can, but still very busy with an international business, so we are old farmers, but due to very diverse business life, we are not as knowledgeable as some more focussed Agri-Villers. That's why we like this site and all the experience shared.

[Hopperbin]

Sumum that is lot you just said... can you repeate ?

[sumdumguy]

Guess that's why I am Sumdumguy -but we could vote on who is the "smartest" farmer on the site.

[Hopperbin]

Sure but dont include my ex wife in the vote. Please.