Canadas Shit show in Grain movement will cost us huge. If winter Canola ever gets going were F%$ked.

[SASKFARMER3]

Parsons, Kansas — A hotbed of interest in winter canola overlaps traditional dryland wheat country, with an estimated 400,000 acres planted this year primarily in Western Oklahoma and Southern Kansas. But Brent Rendel, a farmer from Miami, Okla., and current chairman of the Oklahoma Oilseeds Commission, believes the real growth area for winter canola is east of where it’s currently being marketed. “Last year, I had 70-bushel wheat, where normally I get 40 to 50 bushels,” he recalled. “But I also had a 40-acre strip of canola in one of my fields. I would have needed 90-bushel wheat to make as much money as I made off of the canola. It’s not just about breaking a monoculture; it’s about making more money. I’m working on getting the canola industry to push that aspect.” Rendel’s canola averaged 1,600 pounds per acre, which he described as “pretty good.” He said he had limited success with the crop the previous two years. While experimenting with the crop, he’s discovered several keys to improving its profitably. First, he reduced the widely recommended seeding rate of 5 pounds per acre to 1.8 pounds. “At $10 a bushel for the seed, reducing the seeding rate is a huge deal,” he said. Controlling volunteer canola is a necessity in double-crop rotations, so the availability of good conventional varieties — in addition to Roundup ready strains — has also been important for success on his farm. Finally, Rendel started planting his canola with a modified row crop planter instead of a grain drill or air seeder. “It’s not a grass. It’s got to be treated more like a bean,” he said. “We need to place the seed rather than scatter it.” Rendel is currently trying out a European-style “Monosem” precision planter, designed for small seeds and traditionally used in the South for planting vegetables. He was able to get the planter on loan through a sales representative he met at the Farm Progress Show in Iowa. So far, he’s pleased with the results. - See more at: http://www.farmtalknewspaper.com/local/x2039933632/Will-canola-belt-expand-east#sthash.5PhUXFdb.dpuf