COMPARISON OF SWATHING AND DESICCATION OF BORAGE (BORAGO-OFFICINALIS)AND ESTIMATION OF OPTIMUM HARVEST STAGE

In trials of borage (Borago officinalis L.) between 1988 and 1991, swa thing resulted in substantially higher yields than desiccation with di quat or glyphosate. Earlier harvest resulted in slightly lower seed oi l content. Optimum swathing stage for uniform crops was estimated as t hat in which youngest flowers on apical cymes with shed or mature seed were the first to the third from the cyme base (i.e. stage 5,1 to 5,3 ). In crops with low plant population density, in which production of lowest branches is not suppressed, assessment of swathing stage is lik ely to be difficult and may require sampling from lower cymes.