Well, its the middle of August and there is already wheat being sprayed and canola being swathed. Between sclerotinia, blackleg, and Bertha Army worms, the yield expectations of the canola crop for 2012 might be slightly reduced. When there is sclerotinia in the fields it always looks worse than it it actually is because it really stands out. When deciding when to swath try to get an unbiased view of your field and go after the healthy crop as much as you can as the diseased portion will not bring you the majority of your yield.
http://canola.ab.ca/uploads/agronomy/11ccc2008_canola_swathing_guide_sm.pdf is a good web site that has the swathing guide and a picture to show when to swath. Keep in mind that because of the amount of branching and yield that comes from the branches on the new hybrid canola, you should take a look at the other branches other than the main stem to decide on the timing. Typically the main stem will still ripen first but looking at the other branches will give you a better idea of where you are overall. The bottom 1/3 of the plant should have brown seeds, the middle third should have good brown spotting on the majority of the seeds, and the top third should be firm to roll. This is to say the top seeds should not be mushy when you roll them between your fingers. Seed color change will increase about 10% every 2-3 days, but can progress quicker on hotter days. If you have some insect, hail, and or sclerotina in large areas of the field you may want to consider swathing when the dew is still on the plants in the early morning and or throughout the night to avoid as much shattering as possible.
On a brighter note, the wheat is looking really good this year. Nice big heads and the seeds appear to be plump and filling nicely. When thinking about spraying your wheat remember we are not even in September yet so don't get in a rush. You are better to wait the extra few days and go in a little later than go in too early and loose out on some of that yield you have spent all year growing. You should be able to leave a finger nail print in the kernels if it is ready to spray. If it is to soft to leave that mark then its likely too early to spray. Again you want to have as much of the field at that stage but don't wait for ever for the low spots to completely turn as your yield will not come from these late spots.
Take notice of crop characteristics that you like/dislike so your decision making this fall and winter will be easier.
