News
Clarification to swathing effects on canola seed quality
The article left the impression that early swathing did not impact on seed quality.
November 20, 2007 By Top Crop Manager
In the November 2005 issue of Top Crop Manager, the article, Research
trying to link agronomics to seed performance, looked at the time of swathing
and its affects on seed quality (page 66).
The article left the impression that early swathing did not impact on seed
quality.
"The statement in the article implies that early swathing did not impact
seed quality, and that is a message that I certainly do not want to extend,"
explains Murray Hartman, provincial oilseeds specialist with Alberta Agriculture,
Food and Rural Development. "Past research shows swathing canola 'green',
or too early, has a good probability of poorer seed quality."
The corrected statement from the article should read: "In laboratory research
in Michigan, later harvested canola had better germination."
Hartman says the research by Bob Elliot of AAFC Saskatoon, conducted at Melfort
and Scott, Saskatchewan, showed that swathing the mother crop later than the
normal recommendation (50 percent seed colour change on main stem) or straight
combining did not consistently affect emergence, biomass or yield of the daughter
crop. However, Elliot's study did show that swathing earlier than recommended
does negatively impact seed quality and the performance of the daughter crop,
which supports past research.
Our apologies to Murray Hartman and Bob Elliot for presenting the research
in an ambiguous manner. -30-
