33 The Business of Prairie Agriculture Better Farming | May/June 2024 about 45 per cent of the oil. The oil content composition is influenced by crop maturity, cultivar, and growing conditions. Most caraway production occurs in the moister areas of the province. It should not be sown on sandy soils due to the risk of poor emergence and uneven crop stand. Annual caraway has less essential oil than biennial caraway and matures in about 120 to 130 days, putting it at risk for frozen seeds if grown in Saskatchewan. Biennial caraway is often seeded with a companion crop to help establish a good stand. Recent research has focused on trying to ascertain whether a companion crop is beneficial to caraway, and if so, which companion crop provides the best results. Very competitive companion crops should be avoided because they provide too much competition for biennial caraway. The suggested seeding date for annual caraway is late April or early May. For biennial caraway, early planting is recommended but not critical. The seedlings do have some tolerance for late spring frost. To alleviate or reduce danger from winter kill, the plants may benefit from adequate supplies of phosphorus and potassium. Excessive nitrogen fertilizer can hinder fall hardening of the crop, which can lead to problems with winter survival. Grasshoppers can be a problem in caraway because they can contaminate the harvested sample with excessive body parts being harvested with the seed. Leaf hoppers can also be a problem because they spread the virus aster yellows. Biennial caraway is often ready to harvest in early August in the seed-producing year. It is usually swathed when 75 per cent of the seeds have turned dark brown. Swathing allows for more even maturity of the crop and drying of weed material. Combining can begin when the seed has turned brown and when the caraway is approximately 15 per cent moisture. The seed is considered dry and ready for storage at 10 per cent moisture. In cases where enough plants did not already produce seed and die, and where weed populations are manageable, it may be possible to harvest biennial caraway in the third year. FENUGREEK: Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) is a self-pollinated, small seeded annual legume grown on limited acres in Saskatchewan. It is also known as Greek Hay. The plant grows to a height of approximately 0.3 metres (one to 2.5 feet), has a spicy aroma, and displays indeterminate growth so maturity can be between 105 and 140 days. Five cultivars have been released in Canada: AC Amber, CDC Quatro, CDC Canagreen, CDC Canafen (white Ag Insights
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