AS harvest draws closer some growers who contemplate windrowing their canola crop early will negatively impact on yield and oil percentages.
Grain Orana Alliance CEO, Maurie Street, Wongarbon, says trial work by the organisation and the NSW Department of Primary Industries has convincingly shown that delaying windrowing can improve oil content, which will also improve the price received.
"If you windrow significantly too early you will negatively impact on your yield, in some cases by up to 50 per cent," Mr Street said.
"In general, where growers may only windrow a few days too early, 10 per cent yield penalties are not out of uncommon.
"But with the big crops this year losses of $100 to $200 could easily be seen
"So, while delaying windrowing will improve oil, getting the windrowing right will also improve yield, and yield will trump oil impact any day."
He said what growers should probably focus on was the yield component.
"For every one per cent higher oil, you'll get 1.5pc higher price.
"But what we can influence as a grower may only be 2pc or 3pc, so it is a premium to get better oil."
Mr Street said however, if talking about windrowing too early versus windrowing on time, that could be up to 30pc yield impact and far outweighs any oil impact.
"But in reverse, if you windrow too early you'll have a negative impact on yield and oil," he said.
"So if you go too early it's a double bummer."
He said there were fears of a possible wet harvest, and so there would be growers who would want to windrow their canola as early as possible not to interfere with wheat and barley harvesting.
"That sounds alright in theory, but don't cut off your nose to spite your face," Mr Street said.
"But for every day you windrow too early it could cost you $50 a hectare in lost yield.
Mr Street believed the canola growers would be looking to this crop as their cash flow crop this year with the current strong pricing.
Grains Analyst Lloyd George of Ag Scientia, Melbourne, Victoria, agreed and said he had heard that some 40pc of canola had already been forward sold.
"We got to that $600/tonne delivered port magical level, and growers started letting go, but the price is back to around $590/t at present," he said. "And the yields on the canola crop this year will be phenomenal.
"Canola will be their cash crop and that's why they are letting some go first."
