Technology | Summer 2009
Keep stored canola dry and cool.
By Scott Garvey
Growing canola profitably requires close attention to detail. And that includes careful monitoring during storage which, over long periods, can be a challenge.
During the 1975 and 1976 crop years, according to the Canola Council of Canada, producers learned the hard way about the need for proper canola storage. Spoilage in farm bins following those two wet years cost prairie growers millions of dollars.
Since then, they’ve found out a lot about storing canola. “Once you start to see snow melting off a bin roof, you know you haven’t been as attentive as you need to be,” says Murray Hartman, an oilseed specialist with Alberta Agriculture. “Knowing what went in (in terms of moisture content and temperature) will give you an idea of how cautious you need to be.”
Marcel Fagnou, a producer at St. Brieux, SK, agrees. “The biggest trick is to have it dry and cool,” he says. Canola harvested during hot weather may not store properly even if it tested dry before combining. Although some growers are reluctant to harvest canola on hot days, postponing harvest is rarely a viable option. “When you have good days, you want to get it into the bin. But realize you’ll probably need an aeration bin,” says Hartman. Cooling down hot canola is critical.
If high-temperature canola goes into a closed bin, spoilage can happen quickly. The Canola Council recommends leaving bin lids open during dry weather to help minimize the problem. “We have had canola spoil on us,” says Fagnou. “As moisture moves to the top (in a closed bin), it will start to form a crust and the canola won’t breathe anymore.”
Growers in western Canada do have one natural advantage when it comes to storing crops: cold winters, which help keep bin temperatures down. “If there’s any plus to winter, it’s that we get extended storage,” adds Hartman. But frigid weather is still not enough to keep improperly stored canola safe.
