Driving today Palliser/Goyder

[Sheepwheat]

seems we agree goyder was basically correct but modern farming methods have changed things.

but weather still rules

just did some reading about pallisers triangle seems its more soil type than rainfall am i near the mark?

wonder if other such areas lines occur in other countries

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goyder%27s_Line

It is IMO, heat, wind and lower humidity, more than rainfall amounts that limits crop growth. Rainfall between say Regina, dark brown soil zone, and canora, deep black soil zone, is less than what potential productivity would indicate. Much higher humidity and much less wind comparatively.

I know whenever I go down to Regina, my intake apparatus dries out, and I marvel at the low humidity in the air, vs at home here, 250 km away. And Regina is not by a long shot a dry region, compared to say kindersley, eston, or shaunavon.

The last dozen years are most probably an anomaly overall. But it remains to see for the rain will keep watering a usually dry land as it has been.

Yes farming practices have helped too, no tillage and far higher fertility rates than used to be typical.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Does that mean the too wet areas shouldn't be "farmed" either because of the challenges they face?

Quite possibly, depends on the weather cycles going forward. For the posters here who constantly complain about it being too wet, I think if I were them, I would reconsider if field crops are the best fit for that land, like sheepwheat has already done. It may turn out that waiting for what we think is normal to return, may not actually be normal, and may not return.

I think we all need to be prepared to adapt to whatever the new reality may be going forward, warmer, colder, wetter or drier, and not assume that what we have experienced in our lifetimes is what we deserve going forward. I think there is a sense of entitlement about what we think the weather owes us. I have pretty low expectations, living on the fringe of the fringe. There is another poster here who has a precise recipe of what the weather owes him, and seems to get upset if it doesn't.

Or maybe the alarmists are right, and what we are enjoying is the results of climate change, which will only get better, so we have nothing to worry about.

[Guest]

Tile Drainage "fixes" too wet areas and the surrounding issues (alkalinity/salinity, poor soil structure).

Irrigation "fixes" too dry areas.


Pipelines and aqueducts move water from the "too wet" to the "too dry" areas and their issues (low OM, low productivity, poor soil structure).

Oh wait a second. I forgot. We're in western Canada.

Nobody move! Nobody dream! Nobody do anything!

what we gotta do is get rid of that ball and chain we've had since confederation

[WiltonRanch]

what we gotta do is get rid of that ball and chain we've had since confederation

Agreed. It will eventually happen but things will have to get really bad before it will take hold.

[GDR]

Does that mean the too wet areas shouldn't be "farmed" either because of the challenges they face?

Precisely, both extremes likely suited best to grass production but hunger for cropland is never ending. Lots of acres plowed up here the last 10 yrs that likely should not have been.

[malleefarmer]

GDR your spot on hunger for cropland here in oz people cropping in areas deemed way to dry in the past. And was grazing country only.

Flip side its good for livestock guys less and less acres for animals and sheep flock and cattle flock about 60% of what is was say mid 80s.

When i was up dawsons creek in the peace region i never actually asked but was that traditional livestock country say 30 years ago and cropping has since occured or im wrong?

Didnt venture to far from the ranch think it was south of town about 15 miles and very little crops were i was.

[Klause]

And then there's 4 million plus acres of fertile clay soil right here in Canada that isn't being farmed yet... Land like this...

[malleefarmer]

http://www.eldersrealestate.com.au/rural/buy/property-cropping-sa-karoonda-707777

This farm i mentioned a few months back sold for $400 per acre had a alot of cooch grass or quack grass you guys may call it, and most said no good for cropping blah blah the buyer my next door nieghbour plans to sow feed on it for stock and graze it, no real intention of making it a cropping block. He got a good buy.

Good cropping land is double that now 750 to 820 per acre for 2t to 2.5 t ha country.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

And then there's 4 million plus acres of fertile clay soil right here in Canada that isn't being farmed yet... Land like this...

I'm sure they know what they are doing in their soil and climate, but if I took my clay and pulversized it into dust like that, then rolled it, then got rain, I'd have genuine concrete that no seedling could possibly penetrate. I just checked their rainfall, looks like summers are similar to ours, but wetter in fall and winter, for an average of 815mm per year.

[farmaholic]

What weather cycles were the respective areas in when Palliser and Goyder saw what they say wasn't fit for grain agriculture?

I think every area has the ability to produce a crop, but I think our expectations for each area might have to be different. I guess what it comes down to is can it be done economically?

I wish I could "consistently" grow 50 bu/ac canola. 60 bushel wheat and peas. 40 flax. I know better, I've been a Slum of tbe Ghetto farmer my whole life...its a bonus if it happens, not a "given"!