A Comparison of Direct Combining and Swathing Winter Canola Prior to Harvest.

Winter canola producers in the southern Great Plains employ the harvest management strategy that best fits their operations. Many are interested in learning how swathing at the optimum timing compares to direct combining. A harvest management study including four cultivars, four replications, and two harvest treatments at three locations was conducted from 2007 to 2009. Three site years of results are reported. In Stillwater, OK, swathing prior to harvest increased grain yield by 617 kg/ha over direct combining (p=0.05). Near Hutchinson, KS, direct combining yielded 318 kg/ha more than swathing prior to harvest (p=0.05). In Manhattan, KS, swathing prior to harvest and direct combining were not significantly different for grain yield (p=0.05). Minimal effects were observed in test weight and total oil content. Producers should be able to use either harvest method effectively in the region.