Rising temperatures should send canola growers out to their bins to check for signs of possible seed deterioration. “We’ve had a lot of reports of spoilage since the temperatures started to go up,” says David Vanthuyne, an agronomist with the Canola Council of Canada.
“It doesn’t need to happen.”
Vanthuyne said that in spring, when the sun warms the outside of the bin, air moves up near the outside wall and down through the centre of the seed. The cooler canola in the centre of the bin reabsorbs moisture and starts to respire.
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“That’s when you need to monitor the seed more regularly,” Vanthuyne said. “Rapidly respiring seed produces heat and moisture favouring the growth of storage moulds and eventually the seed may become heat damaged.”
He said growers should take some of the canola from the centre of the bin. “That way you’llÊinterrupt the increase in temperature and moisture in the central core.”
Vanthuyne said if moisture and temperature are properly maintained, it’s possible to store quality canola seed two to three years, although canola seed with increased green seed content is less stable and requires extra care if it’s stored for long periods.
Vanthuyne uses a chart to figure out what has to be done to keep stored canola in good shape for more than five months. He said if the temperature or moisture level of the canola falls within the chart’s spoilage area, either the seed moisture or temperature or both need to be reduced. For storage longer than five months, canola should be binned at a maximum of eight percent moisture.
