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Alternative Crops

Swathing and Windrowing as Harvest Aids for Cuphea

USDA-ARS North Central Soil Conservation Research Laboratory, 803 Iowa Ave., Morris, MN 56267, and USDA-ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, IL 61604

^* Corresponding author (forcella{at}morris.ars.usda.gov)

Received for publication February 9, 2006. Cuphea (Cuphea viscosissima Jacq. x C. lanceolata W.T. Aiton) is a potential new oilseed crop for temperate regions. Harvesting problems occur because current varieties are nondeterminate and shatter seeds. Because swathing may help overcome some of these problems, cuphea was swathed and allowed to dry in windrows for 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 wk before combining. Measured variables at the time of combining were windrow weight, seed water content, seed yield, seed oil content, and post-swathing evaporation (E_ps). Windrow weights decreased from about 40 to 14 Mg ha^–1 as combining was delayed until 3 wk after swathing. Weights decreased over time due to dehydration and leaf abscission, and they were associated hyperbolically with E_ps. Similarly, seed water content decreased from about 670 g kg^–1 at swathing to about 250 g kg^–1 at 30 mm E_ps. Seed shattering apparently was low as high yields were maintained each year until after at least 30 mm E_ps. Seed oil content was affected only slightly by delayed combining dates. Thus, swathing and windrowing cuphea and delaying combining until 30 mm E_ps substantially decreased the weight of material processed by the combine, reduced seed water content, but maintained high seed yields and seed oil contents.

Abbreviations: E_ps, post-swathing evaporation • PM, Penman–Monteith equation