Fall field work (SF3 & others too)

[farmaholic]

SF3: Sounds like your no till experiment turned into common practice like alot of other farms. Conditions change and to remain viable or even survive this racket, we will need to adapt.

[SASKFARMER3]

I agree with adapting to the changes that happen. Last three years we try to get over a few. This year its any day you cant harvest your working stubble. On our farm Canola on worked land a good 8 bus higher. Wheat also see some improvement barley way better. Oats not sure yet.
Tillage is back.

[Braveheart]

If you feel you have to till, it's your land, and your business.

We stick to no till. It works for us. After a big rain the neighbours' tilled fields pond. Ours don't.

I won't go into the soil degradation issues. But I will talk about the money.

Our smallish farm survives by trying to watch spending. Tillage is something we can't afford, even if we wanted to do it.

Fuel, hours on tractors, throw away parts like cultivator shovels, acres on tires, operator labour, and nowadays the high capital cost of decent tillage equipment all combine to push the cost,of tillage outside our budget. We have to make no till work.

We do heavy harrow stubble (not all fields). We have to make sure trash is managed to allow the seeder through.

[farmaholic]

Braveheart, this isn't so much of a problem for us but I was told of guys who can hardly get any traction on no till, thick thatch covered fields. They stay too wet and greasy and the other drawback is they are slow to warm up for germination. As mentioned earlier I also think aids in the development of disease.

I do admit I like what its done to the land and I could honestly say our crops have never been better (during my tenure). But its creating a new set of challenges and costs. I don't farm in the parkland, we're classified as moist dark brown and regarding moisture could go either way any year.....

[Braveheart]

We haven't experienced the greasy experience.

We get on our fields as early as anyone. We do bale most of our wheat straw for our cattle.

[ado089]

Spread it and forget it. Express PRO 2/3l roundup pre seed and banvel 2,4-D in crop keep the canola stubble clean. I combined on a 45 this year where ever I could so any extra straw will get spread with the drill.

[SASKFARMER3]

Black soil zone is different.. Mud is mud. Soil has new issues, zero till works but need something and realized this worked last and this year. Extra yield. So yes we're going back to minor tillage. It is working in our area.