Swathing canola early
Hot summer weather may catch some farmers short of time to swath their canola crop.
“In hot, dry weather canola seed can change color very rapidly. At temperatures of 30¡C, canola can go from 10 to 50 percent seed color change in just four to five days,” said Nick Underwood, crop production co-ordinator for the Canola Council of Canada.
Underwood said growers may have become accustomed to much cooler harvest conditions in the past few years.
Swathing past the optimum time can cause yield losses, particularly in Argentine canola.
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Growers must begin swathing before the crop reaches the optimum color change stage — when 30-40 percent of the seeds on the main stem have changed color.
Swathing early is particularly important for those farmers growing large acreages of one variety of Argentine canola or those who seeded all their crop over a very short period this spring.
If the crop is left until the optimum swathing stage, some of the crop will be too ripe by the time swathing is finished.
“In Argentine canola, swathing should start at 10 to 15 percent color change, while Polish canola can be left until 20 to 25 percent of the seed has changed color,” Underwood said.
To determine the amount of color change, select several plants randomly from various spots in a field. Check the pods on the main stem. The pods with even small matches of mature coloring should count as changing color.
Before combining, it’s important to check both the moisture content and green seed count.
“If you’re swathing in hot weather, canola seed may dry down and be at the appropriate moisture content for combining before it has cured and cleared the green chlorophyll,” said Underwood.
Letting the swathed canola sit through several heavy dews or light rain shower will help clear the green color. Canola seed needs moisture as it is maturing to eliminate the green color.
Polish canola does not necessarily have to be swathed. It can be straight-combined because most varieties are naturally less prone to shattering. Growers of Polish canola should also check regularly for signs of the disease alternaria blackspot. If significant levels are present, the crop should be swathed, provided it is past the 20 percent seed color change. This will reduce yield losses due to shattering.
- Canola Council of Canada
Beef shelf life extended
Recent research has demonstrated that supplementing cattle with vitamin E, at the rate of 500 IU per head per day for the last 100 days before slaughter, can delay the oxidation and discoloration of beef and significantly extend its shelf life in the retail store.
Exposure of beef to oxygen destabilizes the pigments responsible for the bright cherry red color. The brownish pigments become dominant resulting in a product which is undesirable to the consumer. Vitamin E, an antioxidant, delays the pigment destabilization.
A test developed at the University of Wisconsin will allow packers to verify supplementation quickly and cheaply. Several packers in the United States are now testing and paying a premium for vitamin E- supplemented beef.
It will cost cattle producers approximately $3.75 per head to feed the recommended 500 IU/day. Beef destined for export markets, such as Japan, will require a much higher level of supplementation (about 2,000 IU/day).
- Animal Nutrition Update
