WWWI Video: Why Grow Winter Wheat. Do you agree with these farmers?

[AgrivilleAdmin]

New video from Western Winter Wheat Initiative. What do you think?

[freewheat]

I agree in principle. I have grown it three times, and really liked it: However, the only way I was able to get it in the ground in time, was because it was in unseeded chem fallow. Otherwise, in this area, it is very, very hard to get something harvested by the first of September almost every year.

If I could get something combined soon enough, I would be on it like a wet shirt.

[BreadWinner]

We have grown some every year for the last ten but last year was just too late. Busy cleaning seed right now to get some in this year. We like to have it seeded by sept 21 to get it into the two leaf stage. It has been very profitable any a easy mover on our farm.

[freewheat]

Sept 21 is still ok in this country, breadwinner? THAT would change my mind. Maybe the old recommendations are out to lunch?

[BreadWinner]

I think seeding bit too early can use up allot of N and could contribute to disease carryover if the plant gets too big.

[agstar77]

No, No ,No winter wheat only suitable for canola stubble. No more canola. Still too susceptible to fus .

[Braveheart]

Don't agree anymore. Used to agree. Used to be a DU Core Grower. Even spoke at Ag days in Jan 2000, extolling it's virtues and giving growing advice.

Today we were combining Cardale HRS. It is averaging a solid 80 bus/acre. No.1, 14.5%. Our Cardale had only 70 pounds of N by the way.

The winter wheat in this area (where Betty Turner in the video is from) probably averaged 65 bus/acre. One elevator won't accept delivery on contracts cause the protein is too low.

The new varieties suck IMO. The old variety Kestrel, would put them to shame here.

Contrary to the video, and I know most of the people in it, their numbers don't add up for everyone.

The real bottom line is, if it works for you fine. It doesn't work for us anymore.

[farmaholic]

I call bullshit Braveheart, I mean pigshit!!!! ;-)

[TOM4CWB]

Braveheart,

Many of our May/June rains are lacking... which really delays maturity... hurts quality as 2nd growth ... harvest sometimes after spring wheat... like you say at lower bu/ac. Then the price really is short on top. Lack of crop insuranse if seeded after Sept 20... and even then 1/2 the coverage of spring wheat. Then winter kill at times.

Growing peas much better for land...

[Braveheart]

Yes it's true Farmaholic. The pig manure helps. Downside is, this wheat was seeded April 20 and really took it's time. We had a lot of timely rain. Most of our crop is like Justin Trudeau, it's just not ready!

[Braveheart]

Re winter wheat, MBs winter wheat breeder, was adamant that the CWB monopoly had hurt varietal development. The proper market signals were never visible and didn't attract investment in winter wheat breeding.

In terms of returns, the general purpose wheats like Prosper have great yields and seem to have more demand for them than winter wheat.

[farmaholic]

Its amazing what people will tolerate. When you lived and farmed in one spot your whole life and "don't know any better". Judging by some of the reported yields, I doubt some people would be satisfied farming here.

I may never achieve some of the bin busters talked about here but ironically I had some 60bu/ac durum a couple of years ago and the next year did nothing different and got sub 30 (fuzz infected) spring wheats....had the odd fifty-ish, did nothing different on my part this year and yields are mid to high 20s, kinda makes me nauseous. We were always lucky enough to sc**** off something, never seem to get completely skunked. Things can regularly go either way here. Wheat at least looks good and never spent a nickel on fungicides....didn't need to.

Sorry for straying off topic.

[Braveheart]

Tom, all relevant points re winter wheat.

The other thing we've run into here is wheat streak mosaic from winter wheat volunteers as well as downy brome which grows the same cycle as winter wheat.

[Braveheart]

Farmaholic, I wish this was the new normal. The lowest yield I've heard in this area is 65 on spring wheat. The rest of our spring wheat is not as strong as this field. They're also not as flat.

[MBgrower]

Agree with bravehaeart. Newer hrs varieties like cardale yielded as good or better than latest red winter varities. My cardale ran from 75 to 83 bpa this year, #1 grade, faller wheat ran 85,also #1 grade, however i am disappointed with that yield. Protein on cardale is 15.2%, faller 13.1%. Local fields of Ac emerson red winter yielded 65 to 70 and proteins of 9-10.5. I have grown rw for 15 years, 2014 was the last time on this farm, that is unless quality, yield, and winter survival can improve. Plus there is little suitable stubble to seed into, as canola is quickly going the way of Blackberry. One other point, red winter varieties typically are priced the same or worse than feed wheat, if can grow 95 bpa pastuer wheat, why would i grow 70 bpa winter wheat. Manitoba agriculture stated rw is the most profitable crop in mb. Shows you how out of touch these ndp employees are.