Canola

[cottonpicken]

So how far can you push the envelope on swathing?

Can you end up with a green seed catastrophe if you go to early?

[furrowtickler]

Depends on variety and heat/humidity after swathing. Do not cut Nexera green! 7145 dekalb sample can/will look like a bag of skittles if swathed too soon. Last year most got away with swathing early b/c of the perfect curring conditions after swathing, cool wet mornings and low 20 daytime temps. If you had lots of rain over the weekend let the moisture absorb for three/four days and check the weather. 28 - 30 with a dry wind will kill(nexera) canola swathed too early - green seed. Most(Liberty/Pioneer) Hi-breds have a lower green seed content as a rule. Just my observations. Mother nature still rules when you are done.

[furrowtickler]

I agree with Furrow.

But there is NO WAY in hell I'm waiting for 60% seed color on the main stem this year, as the Canola Council says. If I wait until 60% I'll need until middle Sept, and I'm not going to do that. Can't speak on Nexera, but any Pioneer, or Invigor brand, green seed count will not be an issue, you might lose 2-3 bus/acre with shriveling in the top pods, but that's it.

I think this year you have to pick your battles, and I'm not going to lose 90% of my Canola crop to frost to try to squeeze the last 3bus/acre out of it.

Also 72-55 Dekalb looks like Skittles even when you cut it shelling, like I did last year.

[Hopperbin]

Tuff call, frost can be very damaging to the canola when it is still standing. Often way better to have it in the swath. A frost on standing canola can be like cutting it and it may have to be swathed before it gets too brittle or it will shell out before you get there with the swather. In other words you want your canola to dry out as slow as possible, and it will dry out faster standing than in the swath if it freezes. Going to have to watch the weather forecast.

[nicolaas]

Earliest I'd go is 40% on main stem. ANy earlier you will lose a suprising amount of yeild and will battle lots of green. If you feel the need to cut at 15-20%, cut as low as possible and roll the swath as much as possible so it dries down really slow. That should help a little. I expect I will be starting to swath a few hundred early next week.

[Hopperbin]

Nicolaas a lot of farmers envy your situating right now. I am at least a month away from normal swathing stage along with patches of plants that are way off on staging. On the plus side for Canola is the ground now has moisture.

[sumdumguy]

Anyone have experience with Yellow Mustard? Last week the field was turning, now after the rain looks greener than ever. Can you cut Mustard green and let it turn in swath? I would appreciate some voice of experience.

[furrowtickler]

Ask your buyer, most do not like any green what-so-ever in the sample.

[Koldkanuck]

sumdumguy.....on your yellow mustard....are you planning on swathing it? We have grown yellow mustard in the past and have never swathed it. The down grading on yellow mustard can be ferocious if there are to many green counts. Yellow mustard will not shell in the stand. Waiting until it is close to ripe, then swathing it can give you problems in the swath, even if you roll it. I've seen swathed and rolled mustard that landed up in the fence line after a few good winds. My 2 cents worth, but I would personally leave it for straight cutting, unless you don't have a header.

[cropduster]

KK -`yellow mustard will not shell in the stand` is an UNTRUTH!!IT WILL SHELL,it`s just the losses are not as much as a wild wind after the swather!