Swathing vs Direct Combining
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Winter Canola Harvest
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Canola is an indeterminate crop and has a certain amount of immature seeds at harvest.
- Canola is ripe when the pods are dry and rattle when shaken.
- Seed is dark brown to black in color at maturity. Stems will still be partly green.
- Harvest at 8 to 10% moisture. Dryers? 11 to 13%.
- Canola should be cut just below seed pods.
- Straight combining will perform better in heavy canola where it is leaning, with pods "laced" together.
- Canola that is ready should be harvested immediately.
- Swathing is possible alternative for harvesting winter canola.
Winter Canola - Combine Setup
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The reel should be set high and as far back over the table as possible.
- Reel speed should be the same as the ground speed.
Conventional Combine
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Cylinder speed should be slow. About 1/2 to 2/3 that for wheat. (450 - 650 rpm)
- Concave clearances - 3/4" in the front and 1/8 - 1/4' in the rear.
- Fan speed is similar to wheat (400 - 600 rpm).
- To sieve / chaffer set at 1/4 to 3/8" for proper separation and lower cleaning sieve set at 1/8 to 1/4".
Harvesting Canola
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Proper Harvest Moisture: 9-10%, canola will store well at this moisture.
- Combine Settings: Follow manual
for rapeseed (John Deere.com).
- Slow cylinder speed slow as possible (450-550RPM).
- Open concave 3/4 of the way. 1 to 1 1/2' clearance on concave settings.
- Fan speeds set at 2/3 of small grain settings (750-850RPM).
- Rotor Speed 350-650, Concave indicator 10-20, Fan Speed at 700 RPM
- Match reel speed with ground speed. Set fingers straight up and down to minimize wrapping.
- Proper speed: A slower speed will be needed compared to small grain.
- Duct Tape!!!!!!! Very Important .
Winter Canola - Combine Setup
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The reel should be set high and as far back over the table as possible.
- Reel speed should be the same as the ground speed.
Axial-Flow Combine (Case 2388)
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Rotor Speed - 500 RPM
- Gear Range - Middle
- Concave - Small wire setting #4
- Chaffer Setting - Front 1/4", Middle 1/2", Rear 1/2"
- Shoe Setting - 1/16" round hole
- Fan Speed - 600 RPM
- Grate Type - Slot
Rotary Combine
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Use preset settings from operators manual. Most can be setup from the cab by crop.
- Cylinder speed should be slow. About 1/2 to 2/3 that for wheat. (350 - 650 rpm.)
- Concave clearances - 3/4" in the front and 1/8 - 1/4 in the rear.
- Fan speed is similar to wheat (520 - 700 rpm).
- Chaffer clearance 3/8 to 5/16"
- Sieve Clearance 3.32 - 3/16".
Winter Canola Harvest
Reduce shatter loss by combining:
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A ripe crop at higher seed moisture levels and drying the seed.
- In the cooler part of the day.
- At night when pods are damp from dew.
- At night during periods of very hot weather.
- Average seed losses in the field can range from 0.2 to 1 Bu/A.
- Canola can be harvested when too damp to harvest wheat.
However, seed moisture levels must be continuously monitored to ensure they do not exceed safe storage levels.
Winter Canola - Swathing Setup
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Generally is needed for harvesting in cool northern states where dry down is slow. It is critical that the plant be at the proper stage of maturity.
- Plants should be swathed when 60 to 75% of the seeds are black and contain 30 to 40% moisture.
- The swath is placed on stubble for approx. 7 to 10 days or until the seed moisture is 8 to 10%, when the crop should be combined.
- Research has shown a yield reduction of 10% when plots were swathed at the optimum stage compared to direct combining.
Winter Canola Harvest- Time of Swathing Guide
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Start inspecting field approximately 7 to 10 days after flowering ends.
- Walk out and sample 5 to 10 plants. Most of the seeds in the top pods will be firm, and roll, as opposed to break or crush, when pressed between the forefinger and thumb.
- Using the seed color change chart take note on the percentage of the plants. Examine only pods on the main stem. Seeds in pods on the bottom third of the main stem mature first. Only seeds with small patches of color (spotting) should be counted as color change.
- After assessing the main stem, look at the seed from the pods on the side branches to ensure that they are firm with no translucency, especially with low plant populations.
- Once sampled average out the percent seed color change for that filed.
- Continue inspections every 3 to 4 days to monitor color change in the first formed pods on the bottom of the main stem.
- Key to curing crop is moisture. The enzyme responsible for clearing the chlorophyll requires moisture. Curing will take approx. 14 days.
- Best time to swath is when all the seeds contain about 30 to 35% moisture. The color of the seed is a good indicator of seed moisture content.
- At the proper moisture about 30 to 40% of the seeds in the pods on the main stem will have changed color or have started to change color.
- When conditions are hot and dry, swathing is not recommended. Swathing during the cool evening hours, at night, or early morning will allow the plant to dry down at a slower rate. Lowering the chance of green seed and poor oil content.
Tips on Combining
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Combine table should be set low when first starting out.
- Leave reel positioned up and away from the table to prevent shattering
- As crop begins flowing into the combine, begin to raise the table and lower the reel.
- Don't use too much reel on the crop.
Combine Tips to Reduce Harvest Loss
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First, set your combine by the book
- Then you may need to:
- Slow down the cylinder
- Adjust the concaves
- Close the sieves
- Reduce the air
- Raise the reel
- Put reel directly over sickle
- Match Reel speed with ground speed
- Cut just below the pods
- Slow down at first, then see how much you can speed up
- Check for leakage on your trucks/combines
- Aim for 2.0% dockage or less
- Tarp your trucks
