Traditionally canola crops have been cut down with a swather before harvesting, but in the last decade a new trend has emerged — straight cutting. Instead of taking the extra time to swath the canola field, farmers are going out into fields and harvesting the crop while it’s still standing. It seems swathers are becoming more out of style, but is it time to permanently park the implement?
On the Aug. 10 episode of Seed Speaks, we’re taking a closer look at the pros and cons of swathing and straight cutting canola and if it’s time to park the swather. We’re joined by Courtney Welch, Canterra Seeds canola product manager, and Shawn Senko, Canola Council of Canada (CCC) agronomist and harvest management lead.
Welch has been with Canterra Seeds since November 2020. Before Canterra Seeds, she spent several years as an agronomic research specialist with Monsanto/Bayer, working on their soybean, canola and corn breeding programs. Welch has a bachelor of science degree in plant biotechnology from the University of Manitoba.
Senko has been with the CCC since March 2011 and focuses on agronomy for the south-central Saskatchewan region. Prior to the CCC he worked in canola research and development, the animal nutrition industry and at the University of Saskatchewan. His area of expertise is canola agronomy and equipment technology. He also works on the family farm near Guernsey, Sask.
Join us on Aug. 10 at 12 p.m. CDT at the YouTube link above.
