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Comparison of pre-harvest aids in straight-cut canola

Research by PAMI at one site in Portage La Prairie, Man., in 2016 compared straight cut treatments of Reglone or Heat plus glyphosate, and natural ripening to swathing in 2016. Each treatment was harvested as maturity and weather conditions permitted.

August 31, 2018  By Bruce Barker


Research by PAMI at one site in Portage La Prairie

There was no significant difference between treatments in yield, dockage, oil content, green seed, or seed weight. However, it did significantly affect harvest productivity (bu/hr), harvest efficiency (bu/L), fuel consumption, engine load, harvest speed, and threshing losses. These differences were calculated in harvest cost.

Harvest cost differences were calculated using only costs of machinery operation (custom rates, ground speed, fuel usage, etc.), and product cost and application. Cost differences compared to swath/combining was $17.17 more for Reglone, $21.83 more for Heat plus glyphosate, while naturally ripened was $4.87 less than swathing.

The project leader, Avery Simundsson (formerly with PAMI) reported when using these numbers to perform an economic analysis, producers should include the effects associated with the ability to schedule and predict harvest timing, ease of harvest and operator experience, additional benefits outside of harvestability, or costs associated with risk.

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“This study does not necessarily show one harvest method is better than another overall. Rather, this information should be used for producers to make the best harvest decisions for their particular operation and management style,” Simundsson says.

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