Fall seeding is catching on as a way to spread out the workload, but this year’s late harvest has complicated matters.
More winter cereals would probably have been sown if farmers weren’t still harvesting in late August and early September, the ideal time to seed fall cereals.
But there is still time to fall seed canola and agrologists are getting lots of inquiries.
“I think there were a lot guys looking over the fence this year and seeing those winter wheat crops and fall canola looking great and are thinking this is for them,” said Garry Hnatowich.
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But the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool agrologist said weather has not co-operated.
David Struthers, of Winter Cereals Canada in Yorkton, Sask., expects there will still be a record amount of winter wheat sown before mid-September, after which seeding becomes risky because the plants don’t have a chance to establish before the cold hits.
“We have about 50,000 acres sewn up in the flooded areas of the southeast (Saskatchewan), most of which we didn’t have before,” he said.
Some had predicted 200,000 acres of winter wheat for Saskatchewan, but that will be reduced by the lateness of the spring crop. Nevertheless, the 50,000 new acres added to the regularly seeded 100,000 should push the Saskatchewan acreage to 150,000-160,000 acres of winter wheat.
The 50,000 acres in southeastern Saskatchewan and an additional 25,000-30,000 acres in Manitoba stem from a $10 per acre Ducks Unlimited program that encouraged producers in the wet zones to seed winter cereals this year. Across Manitoba, about 80,000 acres of winter wheat are expected to be sown.
“There were tremendous yields of about 95 bushels an acre in the Red River Valley and 65-75 bushels an acre in southwestern Manitoba around Brandon,” he said.
In Manitoba, winter wheat acreage has increased to 80,000 acres this fall from less than 10,000 acres in 1994.
Farmers like winter wheat because it starts growing early in the spring, competing against weeds and maturing before fusarium becomes an issue. Struthers said poor prices will probably limit fall rye acres to the same amount as last year – about 190,000 acres in Saskatchewan and 80,000 in Manitoba.
Jay Byer of Alberta Agriculture said he has seen more interest in fall seeding this year than in the past. But for many growers in northern Alberta, the beginning of September saw them harvesting winter wheat crops from the current year.
Byer said the focus for many growers is now shifting to fall-seeded canola.
“I have been getting calls 50-50, winter wheat or fall canola. They want to get some land (seeded) prior to spring and they are willing to move from a few trial crops to more common use of canola (in the fall).”
Andy Brown of GrowTec in Alberta said his company’s polymer seed-coating business will likely have more demand for product than it can fulfill.
“We have been getting calls from Quebec to B.C.,” he said.
“There are a lot of farmers that would like to seed more land but can’t because they are not able to make full use of their equipment in a tight spring season.”
GrowTec’s new process, called Extender, coats canola and prevents it from sprouting during warm fall days, which gives growers a wider window for seeding.
“I think there will be a lot of growers (who) try coated seed and many that attempt to guess when freeze-up is and seed uncoated seed as late as possible,” said Brown.
Added Hnatowich: “Judging when that last day of fall is is a gamble, but then again, most of farming is a bit of a gamble and I can see how fall-seeded canola will be very appealing to producers this year.”
Tips for fall seeding canola:
- Plant as close to freeze-up as possible if using uncoated seed.
- Maintain adequate, well-spread trash cover.
- Use a glyphosate burn off for perennial weed control.
- Seed one-half to one inch deep.
- Spray annual weeds early in spring.
- Don’t broadcast seed.
- Seed into stubble only.
- Avoid seeding soils that tend to crust easily.
- Band nitrogen in early- or mid-October.
- If applying broadcast nitrogen in spring, use ammonium nitrate with ammonium sulfur.
Tips for seeding winter cereals:
- Seed before Sept. 15.
- Maintain adequate trash cover.
- Use a glyphosate burn off for perennial weed control.
- Seed one inch deep or less.
* Spray annual weeds with 2,4-D just before
- Spray annual weeds with 2,4-D just before
freeze-up.
- Spray for annual weeds early in spring.
- Seed only into stubble.
- Place phosphate with seed and broadcast nitrogen in the spring.
- Avoid using urea nitrogen in spring broadcast; use ammonium nitrate with ammonium sulfur.
