Posted by Hal/ Eastern WA on July 07, 2014 at 16:54:16 from (97.115.185.60):
In Reply to: Re: growing canola posted by Mike (WA) on July 07, 2014 at 13:03:39:
I live SE of Spokane and some farms have planted Canola or Rapeseed, usually after they have taken a field out of bluegrass seed production.
The Canola is kind of pretty when it blooms, with showy yellow flowers, but it has an odd, fairly unpleasant odor. I have noticed that after a field has had Canola in it, there usually are some stray plants around the edges that self-reseed. I wonder if escaped Canola will be the next big weed problem around here. Canola in bloom looks a lot like Jim Hill Mustard, which IS a bad weed problem in lots of areas.
I believe that the farmers first swath the Canola and then combine the windrows after the crop is dry. The seeds are really tiny, so I suppose the combines have to be adjusted even down from the settings for bluegrass seed. But some farmers keep doing some Canola or rapeseed, so there must be some profit in planting it. I have read that they do not have to ship the seed too far for processing, but I don"t remember where the plant is.
This area used to be one of the very best bluegrass seed producing spots in the world. But some years ago the eco folks made it so the farmers could no longer burn the stubble and straw in the fields, as they had done for 50 years. I have been told that without the plants being "shocked" by running a fire over them, the bluegrass produces about half the seed it would. So losing that advantage, the farmers have been experimenting with other crops like Canola, or plowing up their old bluegrass fields and planting wheat.
To the original poster, I suggest that he research the market for Canola in your area. It might work just fine there, but if you have to ship it long distance to get it processed, it might not make a practical and profitable crop. Good luck!
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