The "good" the bad and the UGLY!!!

[farmaholic]

If you want contrast, this same land last year yielded 60 bu/ac wheat, durum, canola and peas, and almost 40 bu/ac flax.

It can do it if there is adequate moisture and groceries applied. But you can buy all the groceries you want, if the free stuff from the sky doesn't fall it just doesn't matter.

[tweety]

So dry!

That Wasacana creek picture, why did it not rain in the pasture but outside the fence it did?

[helmsdale]

Wheat on land that's been tortured most of its life...




Heads dropping top kernels after failing to fully extend out of the sheath...

[farmaholic]

So dry!

That Wasacana creek picture, why did it not rain in the pasture but outside the fence it did?

Seems (over)grazed native grass pasture shuts down and goes dormant. Regarding native pasture versus grain land.... native(and tame?) grass starts using moisture earlier than cropland and cropland stops using moisture earlier than grassland. Year in year out it uses more water than annual cropping IMHO. Add the possibility of poor management and it being native shortgrass prairie without an insulating thatch....

Just a theory.

But that pasture is rotationally grazed with the one across the road from it.

[grassfarmer]

That Wasacana creek picture, why did it not rain in the pasture but outside the fence it did?

That's management, or lack of. Broken water cycle, over grazed, minimal production, no litter left, no root reserves. Typical summer pasture in western Canada, albeit a little browner than most.

Tough go with your crops Farma, sorry to see that.

One thing about this drier spell it's sure cut the chatter about "soil poison" and being "too fricken cold"

[helmsdale]

Heads completely cooking before even making it out of the sheath.



Mustard seeded may 3 is curing out.



Peas seeded May 1 went from 5-10% color change yesterday morning to 40-45% just before supper today. Yesterday peaked out at 103°, and was over 90° from 10:30am to 8:30pm with a 15-20mph wind. Today was 92° with a 20-30mph wind.

Like farms said in his post, for comparisons sake, this same land the pictures were posted from produced 80bpa cos wheat. If mother nature cooperates, It can and will pump. 16 days in a blast furnace with 0" of rain have devastated ~50% of my wheat acres. Another 2 weeks of dessication being forecasted will likely fubar the rest.

Only saving grace is that my specialties (aside from 80acres of soy) are ready to cure out anyway...

[farmaholic]

Thanks Grassy, it could be worse and we will persevere and do it again next year. We may only break even on some fields and make some money on others but we will survive. Some others are in tougher shape...helmsdale posted some tough looking wheat, we are not alone.

[tweety]

Seems (over)grazed native grass pasture shuts down and goes dormant. Regarding native pasture versus grain land.... native(and tame?) grass starts using moisture earlier than cropland and cropland stops using moisture earlier than grassland. Year in year out it uses more water than annual cropping IMHO. Add the possibility of poor management and it being native shortgrass prairie without an insulating thatch....

Just a theory.

But that pasture is rotationally grazed with the one across the road from it.

Mostly because no rain. Pastures here are starting to look like this too. Really sucks. Grass can't keep up. So tough for the cattle guys

[farmaholic]

I can't imagine what our crops would look like without that 2.inch rain a month ago. We have some real sandy patches that always need rain. Our more clay based soils obviously hang better but they aren't doing real good either. You can't have this kind of heat, wind, low humidity and lack of rain and expect a good crop. Just grateful we have what's there given the conditions we've had.

[helmsdale]

I can't imagine what our crops would look like without that 2.inch rain a month ago. We have some real sandy patches that always need rain. Our more clay based soils obviously hang better but they aren't doing real good either. You can't have this kind of heat, wind, low humidity and lack of rain and expect a good crop. Just grateful we have what's there given the conditions we've had.

90° today with a sub freezing dew point... wind switched to the nw and cooled off but wind is punching close to 50mph now. Neighbor who tortures his land with harrows and then pulls additional drag harrows probably can't see across his yard right now... cultivation in this area is the devil!

Seen on Twitter, talk of guys "Pro-tilling" oilseed and pulses under in southern SK. If we did that here theres no way that top soil would be still here by spring if this weather keeps up!

[farmaholic]

....sub zero dewpoint is a sobering thought! But it goes to show...

If I had to terminate a completely droughted out crop I would be using only a sprayer at this point, then maybe another shot later then maybe heavy harrows to manage any excess trash and then maybe only in spring....why wouldn't you want the snow trapping effect of a standing terminated crop....its a drought for ****'s sake!

[helmsdale]

....sub zero dewpoint is a sobering thought! But it goes to show...

If I had to terminate a completely droughted out crop I would be using only a sprayer at this point, then maybe another shot later then maybe heavy harrows to manage any excess trash and then maybe only in spring....why wouldn't you want the snow trapping effect of a standing terminated crop....its a drought for ****'s sake!

I know it, and you know it, but its must be hard to resist the urge to be a PRO tiller!