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ProCrop |
Effect of Swathing Time and Desiccants Use on Flax Yields
May swath or straight combine. Thresh when thoroughly dry - seeds rattle in boll. Store at 9% moisture.
| Estimated seed yield reduction when flax was swathed or sprayed with a desiccant at various boll moistures, means for all tests, and ranges. | ||||||
Yield Reduction (%) |
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|
Boll Moistures When Plots Were
Swathed or Sprayed (Percent Brown Boll Stage in Brackets) |
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| 65 (0) | 55 (25) | 45 (47) | 35 (67) | 25 (83) | ||
| Swathed | Mean | 25 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Range | 14-32 | 5-18 | 1-14 | 0-10 | 0-6 | |
| Reglone | Mean | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Range | 0-25 | 0-13 | 0-8 | 0-24 | 0-59 | |
| Ignite | Mean | 20 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 9 |
| Range | 0-30 | 0-18 | 0-14 | 0-16 | 0-51 | |
| Roundup | Mean | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Range | 0-13 | 0-10 | 0-8 | 0-6 | 0-3 | |
When averaged over all tests, maximum yield occurred at 30% boll moisture (75% brown bolls) for swathing, 29% for Reglone, 26% for Harvest and 17% for Roundup. For swathing, Reglone and Harvest, yield increased with delay in treatment up to a maximum and then leveled out or decreased slightly. For glyphosate, however, yield increased with delay in treatment. It was noted that maximum yield was reached at an earlier stage (higher boll moisture) during the years of lower moisture stress, probably because boll drying was delayed while physiological maturation continued. Thus, in years when maturation occurs very slowly, swathing or desiccant application could be completed earlier than the average for optimum yield, while in years when maturation is very rapid, those procedures should be delayed to a later stage.
Predicted yield reductions at specific maturity stages for each treatment are presented in the table above. For example, swathing at 65% boll moisture (0% brown boll stage) resulted in an average yield reduction of 25% but ranged from 14 to 32%, while swathing at 35% boll moisture (67% brown boll stage) resulted in an average of 2% yield reduction but ranged from 0 to 10%. Desiccating flax with Reglone or Harvest resulted in about the same yield reductions as swathing at lower boll moisture levels, but somewhat lower yield losses at higher moisture levels. Yield losses from early glyphosate application were considerably lower than for other treatments, probably due to is slower action. Yields from swathing, Reglone and Harvest treatments often decreased if treatment was delayed beyond the optimum moisture stage. As harvest was delayed, plants became more brittle and capsule losses before and during harvest increased.
1988-91 Morden, Manitoba. Agriculture Canada Research
Gubbels, Bonner, Kenaschuk
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