There are many things to consider when straight cutting canola, including variety selection and field conditions.
Equipment is certainly another factor, but growers can successfully direct combine the crop with many different header styles, said Nathan Gregg of the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI), who has studied header performance while straight cutting.
As part of that project, Gregg worked with draper and rigid auger headers, as well as a newer model with an extendable cutter bar.
“We were able to make it work with all of them, but some had a little bit more loss and a little higher or lower yield, depending on the (field) conditions,” said Gregg, who found the lowest shatter losses with the extendable cutter bar.
Draper-style headers performed best with the reel positioned as far back and as high as possible, which reduced shattering. Losses were higher with rigid headers, but not always prohibitively so, he said.
Make informed decisions
PAMI has also found shatter-tolerant hybrids make a significant difference and can enhance your chances of success, although it’s not guaranteed. While straight cutting can produce higher yields, every situation is different and producers have to select fields wisely.
Gregg said producers will have the most success straight cutting canola in flat fields with even maturity.
“It depends on each individual farmers’ situation. This is more of a management decision than anything else,” said Gregg.
“If they want to experiment and try it, I don’t think it justifies going out and buying new equipment at this point. You can get away with using what you’ve got.”
For more information about PAMI and its ongoing research projects, see pami.ca.
Straight cutting tips
Varietal selection: Some varieties are more likely to drop or shatter pods from the harvest process. Look for varieties highlighted as being suitable for straight cutting.
Frost risk: Reduce the risk of yield loss from frost by selecting varieties with maturity ratings that fit your growing region.
Weed control: Be sure to dry down late-emerging weeds with a pre-harvest herbicide application to improve canola harvestability and reduce dockage.
