Floods

[Klause]

WE used to grow forages for seed...

Single species forage stands don't grow any longer than an annual crop. Hay fields seeded to a blend give the illusion because different species grow at different times of the year.

Timothy is the most water intensive forage commercially grown in W. Canada outside of reed canarygrass (which is kind of an invasive species so we won't go there)... Timothy goes through 3/4" of water per day from heading through flowering, which is about a 4 week period.

Canola takes up an inch of water per day during flowering which is up to a 6 week period... Again, assuming ideal conditions.

Soybeans, corn... well... they take up more water than anything else grown in Canada. Beans suck water from May to the end of September... It's amazing how much sloughs dropped on the bean field this year... literally amazing...

They're almost as low now as they were in the spring before we got 24" of rain on that field this year (7 of which fell in one afternoon).



Everyone has their own opinions and the right to them... I have no problem with that. However continually coming on here and saying that the flooding that so many of us deal with is a figment of our imagination... or that if we were to grow grass and put cows on everything it wouldn't be wet... that's just trying to start things and agrevate people that have enough stress to deal with already.

[ProFarmer]

well said klause

[foragefarmer]

Klaus

Great numbers if the growing conditions are ideal, and let's be honest how often does that happen. But tell how much moisture your canola and cereals are sucking up when they are suffering from moisture stress or drowning out in low spots compared to timothy, perennial rye and blue grass are taking up with the same conditions.

It's to bad you stopped growing forages for seed production!

[Klause]

Timothy, clover and ryegrass will drown out too, and in this area the problem isn't even so much the water itself but the salinity it brings... Foxtail is very hard to control in a timothy stand.

We got back into it actually, have a quarter in Timothy right now, first seed production will come off of it next year.


At least you agree with us that it's been far too wet, forage... !

You are right in that forages are more tolerant than canola or wheat to standing water... but again, so is corn and soys, and fababeans (Dad always called them a cross between a soybean and a clover plant. LOL).


BTW, do you have foxtail out there? how do you control it out of forage stands? I've never had any luck getting rid of the $)*%$)@ crap in a grass stand... lots and lots of Assure II will knock it back in clover and alfalfa.

[foragefarmer]

Foxtail, is a problem in grasses and hard to control. Best thing to do is have very clean fields before under seeding them to any grasses.

As for flooding, it is man made and mother nature combined, the way I see it, and a big problem without any doubt. I truly know what wet fields are about though, just have learned to contend with them.

[ProFarmer]

Klause you will never change forage farmer he thinks he is always right. Prob sits down at night and thinks this stuff up just to make himself feel happy. If he farmed in the real world instead of his pretend one he would be broke years ago.

[foragefarmer]

Profarmer

I'm really not to concerned what you think of me or how I farm. As for being broke no worries at this end about that, but thanks for asking. How's your situation?

Not sure what anything I was posting to Klaus has to do with you, but hey,join in at any time and discuss forage seed production with us. I would like to hear what you know about the subject!!!!

[may-be]

Thought I would try my luck with forages for the last number of years. I still faced many unproductive challenges because of our weather. I found it still drowns out. Very poor production with my tall fescue for a cold spring and winter with lack off snow. Had some rejected when water ran across my crop and brought in a prohibitive weed. Another crop was down graded because water brought in seed from a neighbor that was a different forage type.

In 2013 I was talking to the owner of Interlake forage seeds and he was telling me about having good sales because off all the grass that was drowned out for so many unfortunate cattle farmers in the area.
In 2014 I delivered some trefoil to him and noticed many cattle farms and lots off trees. When I met up with the owner of the company, he said many off those operators were calling it quits.

The moral of the storey is, To wet is to wet. Can't give your crop a snorkel.