Most seasoned canola growers know a staggering amount of canola seed never becomes a viable plant, and it’s not due to disease or poor germ. An unfortunate side effect of running an air drill is, well, air, or rather the damage that air can do to tiny canola seed as it pushes it through the hoses and down to the openers. Excessive seed damage can have a huge impact on stand establishment.
How do you measure seed damage? There’s a relatively easy way to tell, and that’s with the easy, economical sock test. In this video, Shawn Senko, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, demonstrates how to set up your drill to gauge seed damage, where the damage may be occurring, what to look for and how to change your seeder settings to minimize this loss.
For more on seeder set up and maintenance, click here.
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