From 2001 to 2005, canola acres have flucuated from 800,000 to 1.3 million in North Dakota. In 2006, there are two proposed canola biodiesel plants to be built in North Dakota. Each facility will needd approximately 350,000 to 400,000 acres of production. It is estimated wiith current and proposed canola crush use that acres would need to increase to 2 million acres to meet demand. Current North Dakota State University Extension recommendations and guidelines suggest swathing at the optimum stage will reduce green seed problems and seed shatter losses. The canola swath is allowed to cure and ripen for a minimum of 10 to 14 days, during which strong wind may blow the swaths out of the window making combining very difficult and often resulting in yield losses due to shattering. There is increased interest in straight combining canola; however, it is not recommended due to largely to the lack of research to define risks of seed shatter and uneven ripening. In 2005, an experiment to evaluate canola harvest method and timing was conducted at Minot, Prosper, and Carrington North Dakota. In general, straight combining treatments tended to have higher yields at the optimum harvest timings compared to swath treatments.