Momentum builds for straight-combining canola

It's already common practice in North Dakota, and more farmers in Western Canada are refining the technique of straight-combining canola. We're working on a couple articles for February. Do you have experiences — good or bad — with straight combining canola, and would you like to share these with us? Please email me.

This photo shows a Biso Crop Ranger multicrop header. You can adjust the position of the cutterbar relative to the reel, moving the cutterbar out front of the reel so pods shelled out on impact drop onto the header pan, not onto the ground. Robert Breckner from Grandview, Man., is the Western Canadian distributor for this Austrian brand.

Other farmers have had good luck straight-combining canola with a standard header, and we'll ask them to share their ideas for making it work with minimal losses and good quality. Giving canola a chance to fill and mature completely while still standing will improve yield. The trick is to get that yield safely into the combine grain tank. We're going to dig up the latest "tricks" to share with you.