Burn or not to BURN!

[blackpowder]

Couldnt burn here if we wanted to. Seldom necessary. I can definitely understand your points. Doubt many would do it for fun.

[freewheat]

I may burn a quarter as well this year of excessive canary stubble. I do not want to, but I see no other way this year.

Remember, burning one year, only removes the top material, the roots and root channels and soil structure stays intact so long as you do not till it as well.

This is not the open prairie either. Less wind, wet soils, tree lines and bushes. Never was wind erosion here. If I do not burn the field I have in mind, it will be a no go for this year. The canary was flat to the ground, tangled, and the straw is 4 feet long but flat to the ground after going through winter.

Klause you bring up some good points.

[furrowtickler]

We are going to try a slightly diff approach - A Gates coulter Harrow - should be here today or tomorrow.

[macdon02]

Torch it man ! I burnt a section last week, called it in and got grief from lady on the line. Happened to be earth day, whatever. Got in touch with the chief and gave him the heads up, long story short got called in to 911 twice. Moral of the story, don't be diplomatic when calling in. I totally agree with you SF it does manage disease, better then tillage. Everything I'm seeding to canola is getting the match. Growing a crop on the tundra requires all the tools in the box.

[furrowtickler]

Brave, If we would have burnt our wheat stubble last spring before seeding peas with a match instead of using chem - we would have an extra $300,000 in our jeans today. Sometimes it makes sense to do things a little diff than "normal" don't touch just spray attitude for zero till. The levels of herbicide residue from certain chemicals are causing increased disease issues. Our levels of AMP and Gly are also getting concerning.
One can pretend there is no issue but it is real and a little tillage or burning is a lot cheaper than loosing hundreds of thousands of dollars to disease damaged crops that one cannot fix after the fact. Crop rotation is critical but not the end all be all answer.

[SASKFARMER3]

All good points, some of ours haven't been worked for 32 years or more! You know the initial ideas worked after a while, but maybe us early users have to change a few things now! Doing the same thing over and over doesn't work all the time!

[sumdumguy]

what "burns" me is all the people driving down the highway and call the fire department. Lots of burning will be done on gumbo land or the crops will not make it this year. Seeding in July doesn't make sense and the ash is beneficial. The insects and disease ain't. Controlled Burn phone number is 310-5000.

[furrowtickler]

Absolute zero till has it's place in the Palliser triangle or sand soils , but any where else you need to write your on book and be willing to change as needed.

[Klause]

We gotta burn a half section of flax straw at the junctions of hwy 2 and 16... sounds like we will have fun

[Hopperbin]

Not a chance. Only time I used burning in the past was when we could not get on the land even with a harrow. Or when have to burn flax straw. Its a dirty job. What about the environment? Just thinking I would do anything in my power not to burn first. Thought you had a special harrow to blacken your field. Whats up?

[Hopperbin]

9.21 am 6.34 pm posted again?

[furrowtickler]

Computer gremlins lol