Harvest Observations (November 2012)

Harvest observations provide important information for planning the following year’s cropping programme. Many of the issues requiring treatment or management in future crops are best observed from the header or windrower. When owner operators carry out the harvest operations, the issues noted during harvest are brought directly to the table during the planning process. Where employees or contractors carry out harvest operations, such observations are often not made or not communicated to management.

To facilitate more appropriate planning and management, it is important that the windrower or header operator is aware of the importance of noting issues such as weed escapes, crop disease, yield variations and other management issues.

Requesting some brief notes or a comment on each paddock, may obtain useful information which can lead to improved management during the following year. In particular, information on the following can be very valuable:

• Variations in the amount of Blackleg and Sclerotinia in canola

• Incidence of cereal diseases

• Type and level of weed survivors

• Variations in yield within paddocks, between paddocks and between varieties

• Harvest efficiency