[Crops 101] Canola - How to sow and harvest

In this tutorial, we show you all you need to know about Canola. Can you plant it? - Yes you can(ola)!

What You Need To Know About Canola

• Feed your canola to your pigs
• Place a bee hive next to your canola field to improve your yield
• Canola can be processed into oil at the oil mill
• Oil can be used to produce chips
• You can plant canola during August and September
• Canola is ready for harvest from July to August

What You Need For Canola

This chapter focuses on the essential equipment. Feel free to skip ahead if you're interested in canola growing instructions.

• You need a tractor with front loader attachment to operate tools and transport resources.
• You need a pallet fork to transport your resources.
• You need a cultivator to prepare your field for seeding.
• You need a seeder and seeds. 
• You need a fertilizer spreader, fertilizer, and lime. These things are optional, as they are only needed to increase your harvest. 
• You need a weeder to prevent weed from growing and spoiling your harvest.
• You need a combine harvester with a fitting grain header to harvest your canola.
• You need a trailer to transport your harvest.
• You need a special trailer to transport your grain header.

How To Harvest Canola

If you need help with handling your tools, we got a little help for you:

How To Operate Your Machinery

This instruction also works for your combine harvester and the fitting header.

1. Align your vehicle: Drive your vehicle next to the tool you want to use. Press the designated button to connect. 
2. If necessary, fill your machine with the required resource (seeds, fertilizer): Place the machine you want to fill next to the required resource and press the designated button to refill.
3. Drive to your field and use the machine: Just unfold the machine or vehicle, lower it (if needed) and you are ready to go!

Step by step: How to plant canola

Follow these seven simple steps and your canola harvest is safe:

1. Applying Lime: Fill your fertilizer spreader and cover your field with lime.
2. Cultivate your field: Switch to your cultivator and work your field.
3. Plant your canola: Ensure your seeder is filled, then proceed with planting the canola.
4. Fertilizing: To increase the yield of your harvest, you need to apply fertilizer twice. This has to be done on two different stages of growth of your plants.
5. Weeding: Take care of weeds as soon as it grows. They spoil the yield of your harvest and the longer you wait, the harder they are to terminate. In the first stage, you can still use the weeder to remove weeds. After that, you need a hoe or field sprayer.
6. Harvest: Hop in your combine harvester to get to the fun part - harvesting canola. As streets are often narrow and crowded, we recommend transporting the header on a trailer.
7. Sale and Usage of canola: With your trailer full of canola, you need to decide: Sell it at a selling point, process it into oil, or feed it to your pigs? Your harvest, your choice!

That’s It!

Take care of your machinery and don't forget to clean them sometimes. Head back to the Academy for more tutorials.