Optimizing Harvestability

in Oilseeds

The Saskatchewan Canola

Development Commission
Annual meeting
Jan 9th, 2008

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Wheatland Conservation Area Inc
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A
Southwest Agri-ARM Site
 Presentation Outline
• Wheatland Conservation Area / Agri-ARM
background
• Swathing vs. Straight Cutting Brassicas
• Improved Straight Cutting Techniques
• Taking the next step- further developments
• Wrap up and acknowledgements
 Wheatland Brief History
• Non-profit / producer run
since 1982.
• Applied research
• Agri-ARM (8 sites)
• Trials
-large plots
-small plots W

-demonstrations
C
A

-business development
-industry
-extension
• Environmental Farm
Plans (PCAB)
 Project Introduction
• Partnered with Saskatchewan Canola Development
Commission (SCDC) and others to demonstrate
optimum harvesting techniques to improve the
harvestability of oilseeds.

• This presentation looks at various management

strategies including header types used to straight cut
oilseed crops.

• Improving harvest efficiencies and seed quality can

benefit consumers, buyers, processors, and
producers.
 Swath Timing vs. Straight Cutting
Project Objectives
• Optimize harvesting
efficiencies.
-when is the best time to
swath?
-can we straight cut oilseed
crops (B.Juncea)?
• Improve seed quality.
-increase seed size and
reduce green seed count.
• Minimize harvest losses.
 Swath Timing vs. Straight Cutting
Three treatments
• Early swathing (20-30%
color change).
• Late swathing (50-60%
color change).
• Straight cutting.
Four Crops
• Argentine canola
• Polish canola
Data Collected on Four Reps
• Oriental Mustard Yield, harvest losses, seed size.
• Brassica juncea
 Results
Tray losses are highest with a straight cut operation
and lowest with an early swath operation.
Swathing vs. Straight Cutting (tray losses)

250

200

150 Swathed Early

Swathed Late
100
Straight Cut
50

0
Argentine Oriental Polish Brassica
Canola Mustard Canola Juncea
How does swath timing and straight
cutting affect seed size?

Swathing Date vs. Straight Cutting (Seed Size)

4
3.5
grams / 1000 seeds

3
2.5 Swathed Early
2 Swathed Late
1.5 Straight Cut
1
0.5
0
Argentine Oriental Polish Brassica
Canola Mustard Canola Juncea
Do the positive effects of seed size out weigh
the negative effects of harvest losses?

Swathing Date vs. Straight Cutting (Yield)

40.00
35.00
30.00
25.00 Swathed Early
Bus/ac

20.00 Swathed Late

15.00 Straight Cut
10.00
5.00
0.00
Argentine Oriental Polish Brassica
Canola Mustard Canola Juncea
 There are other disadvantages to
swathing.
• Losses from wind.
• Extra operation.
• Can we straight cut? Can we reduce header
losses? Is there a better way?
 Improved Straight Cutting
Techniques in Oilseeds
• Can we reduce harvest losses enough to
straight cut Argentine canola?
Three headers Three Crops
-BISO header -Argentine canola
extension. -Oriental Mustard
-Stripper header. -Brassica juncea
-Rigid straight cut
header.
 BISO Header Extension

Header from Robert Breckner, Grandview, Manitoba

Shelbourne Stripper Header
 BISO Header Extension
• Reel above plate
• Cutter bar
forward
• Crop has no
problem feeding
• Seeds caught by
ridged plate
Seed trapped on terraced plate
 Stripper Type Header
• Greater travel
speeds in most
crops.
• Strips off pods
leaving a good
deal of stubble
behind.
• Premiere header
for cereals, flax,
lentils and lodged
crops.
 Header Losses
Header Losses (% of Straight Cut)

700
600
500
Stripper
400
%

Straight
300
BISO
200
100
0
Canola Mustard Juncea
 Resulting Yields

Brassica Yields (Bu/ac)

30

25

20 Yield index
Bu/ac

BISO
15
Straight
10 Stripper
5

0
Canola Mustard Juncea
 Draper Header???
• In 2006 the partners decided to drop the
Stripper header and look at a more widely
used header, the draper style header, in
canola.
• We partnered with Haubrich Farms at
Hodgeville to study a Mac Don draper
header.
 Draper Header
• Invigor 5070 canola
• Mac Don 972 Draper
with PU reel
 Draper Header Results ’06, ‘07

Header Losses
Header Lossesand
andYield
Yield2007
2006

500 100 3830

400 80 3628
Header Loss
Header Loss

Bus/ac
300 60 3426

Bus/ac
200 40 3224

100 20 3022
0 0 2820
BISO
BISO Draper
Draper Rigid
Rigid

HeaderLoss
HeaderLoss Yield
Yield
 Early Indications Summary

• It appears there may be

better options available for
straight cutting Argentine Example:
Canola. $34,000 @ 7% interest =
• We want to continue this $400/mon or $4,800.00 / yr
project for more data At $8.00 canola we need 600
and look at other options extra bushels to break even.
(Spodnam, new varieties, If we average a 3 bus/ac
Canola pushers, etc.). advantage with the BISO, a
producer needs to grow 200
• Economic feasibility. acres of canola / year.
 Acknowledgement

• Saskatchewan Canola
Development
Commission.
• Haubrich Farms
• Mark Stumborg (AAFC).
• SAF
• BISO headers,
Robert Breckner.
• Staff.
W
C
A SPARC