Canola has reached its highest yield potential and is ready to swath when some of the seed on the lower third of the main branch shows a color change from green to brown or black (about 35 percent seed moisture). Direct combining is common in winter canola production and is growing in popularity in spring canola areas. It is most successful with a weed-free, uniform crop. Using a registered desiccant is highly recommended to protect the vulnerable seed drydown period from weather situations.
Standability refers to the agronomic trait of a canola crop to lodge or lay down. Swathing a high-yielding canola crop can be challenging if it is badly lodged. Typically, these canola fields will lean but should not lay down flat.
Shorter canola varieties sometimes lodge less, but may not have enough stubble height to keep the swath from blowing away. Early-planted fields tend to be shorter and more resistant to lodging. Plant populations also affect stalk strength. Diseases such as sclerotinia white mold and blackleg severely affect standability.
Some CROPLAN GENETICS® varieties can be classified as full-season varieties, which are usually tall. However, these varieties have also been selected for superior standability to reduce swathing challenges with a heavy-yielding crop.