Change in Rotation

[jazz]

I want to simplify my rotation. I am tired of working on the ground scraping lentils out of the gumbo and tired of bunching and burning flax straw. Tired of peas that usually lay down at harvest time. Tired of fighting weeds in these non competitive crops.

I want to go to a cereal (durum) - cereal (HRS or Barley) - Canola rotation and be done with it all.

Comments?

[blackpowder]

Kind of an "I have arrived" rotation.
Guys here do it. Usually after a certain age. Don't blame them one bit.

[bucket]

Kind of an "I have arrived" rotation.
Guys here do it. Usually after a certain age. Don't blame them one bit.

How about fall rye ....canola ....wheat/durum....

The lentil/ pea thingy doesn't have the returns to wreck any combine while the protein guys are sucking on a billion dollar fund....let them find pulses from farmers in other countries that are respected as part of the industry...and find out what the real cost of a pulse is....

[jazz]

Kind of an "I have arrived" rotation.
Guys here do it. Usually after a certain age. Don't blame them one bit.

I don't think of myself arrived at all even though I have been fing around at this for 25+ yrs. Just want simpler, easier crops with less potential problems. I don't think the returns are a whole lot different anyway when you count up the chem applications in pulses and maybe a 20-25 bu flax crop on average.

[farmaholic]

Don't forget the value of a diverse crop rotation.
Good things aren't always easy.

[Sheepwheat]

I quit canola for a time now as feeding parasites with 700 buck a bushel seed has become too rich for my blood.

I would suggest faba beans, oats, flax, wheat/durum. Throw in some hay for a rotation break and take advantage of city horse ppl who pay whatever you desire for small squares. Pencil it out, I bet it would surprise you. That is thinking outside the box though. That is not allowed! Lol

I don’t have anything like a set rotation. Different crop type to different crop type is all I do. Not like it works for me, not much does.

Fabas stand four to six feet tall and the first pods are at least a foot off the ground, and straight cut like a dream. Cheap inputs, esp. with smaller seeded ones.

They are a late maturing crop. And they do like water, lots of water. More water the better. Regina probably not ideal zone for them.

FWIW.

[fjlip]

This farm since 1974 has been cereals for a year or two then canola. Oh ya SMF every 4th crop till 1980. Min till since 1991, wheat canola. Simple less bin space, less drill/combine/truck/ auger cleaning. Just lazy I guess. Making enough money, paying income taxes. Life is short, which ever crop grows better, no need to grow 10 crops. For sure a few will lose money anyway. Someplace better suited for each crop. Choose wisely. 50 years experience FWIW...

[beaverdam]

Funny Jazz, been thinking the same thing over the last 2 weeks. I may have a couple years on you, but been driving around watching this crop mature, and thinking to myself,,,"why the _uck do you have all these different crops for", and like you're saying, some are difficult crops to manage and harvest,,,the rewards just aren't there anymore.

I was thinking, durum-canola-oats

Anyone know of a good oat variety that can be straight cut?

Did think of barley too, but it would likely volunteer hard in your cereal crop, if I went with barley, I'd likely go with a feed type, I've had enough of the "malt games" over the years.

Anyone know of a good feed barley variety that can be straight cut?

[Sheepwheat]

Oats for straight cutting. Legget, Betania, Camden have all been fine for me.

Barley? All I can say is NOT champion.

[Partners]

The bly head I posted is synergy.
So far standing very good..

[makar]

Morgan oats straightcuts well.

[Guest]

I want to simplify my rotation. I am tired of working on the ground scraping lentils out of the gumbo and tired of bunching and burning flax straw. Tired of peas that usually lay down at harvest time. Tired of fighting weeds in these non competitive crops.

I want to go to a cereal (durum) - cereal (HRS or Barley) - Canola rotation and be done with it all.

Comments?

You and many others in the leading grain growing nations have or are hitting the wall. One problem is you are looking for a solution from the same level at which your current problem was created. Big pharma can only dazzle you with their latest promises for so long. Note that glyphoshit doesn't fit in the new model. Good luck

https://theconversation.com/ipccs-land-report-shows-the-problem-with-farming-based-around-oil-not-soil-121643

[malleefarmer]

I tend to work on KISS principle a bit. But have livestock which complicates things or makes it easier??

Sow a crop called vetch you may call it tares thats one break crop keep weeds out of it best you can and graze other legume is lupins on sand and canola as a standing crop. My three sown break crops. Other medic/clover pastures.

But swing australia wide is more diverse rotations lentils beans peas lupins canola mustard chickies and supposedly world leader in breeding of lentils for dry climates. New chems coming online and old chems being relooked at so medium to high rainfall areas of aust cropping looks great.

Dreir areas like mine diversify with stock added.

Every farm is different as is farmers attitude to risk enthusiasm soil type frost risk etc etc

[GDR]

I want to simplify my rotation. I am tired of working on the ground scraping lentils out of the gumbo and tired of bunching and burning flax straw. Tired of peas that usually lay down at harvest time. Tired of fighting weeds in these non competitive crops.

I want to go to a cereal (durum) - cereal (HRS or Barley) - Canola rotation and be done with it all.

Comments?

I understand how you feel but we have the opposite problem here, not enough crop options, I just love travelling around and seeing what some places can grow. We just dont have the heat, light or season to grow anything interesting. Mostly cps/bly/canola rotation here. Some wet or frost prone land is really only good for barley and hay rotation.

On varieties we will see but trying Sirish barley this year, supposed to stand well when pushed to the max. Know one guy who has fertilized it for a target yield of 165bpa, stood at 140ish last year he said????

[Braveheart]

I want to simplify my rotation. I am tired of working on the ground scraping lentils out of the gumbo and tired of bunching and burning flax straw. Tired of peas that usually lay down at harvest time. Tired of fighting weeds in these non competitive crops.

I want to go to a cereal (durum) - cereal (HRS or Barley) - Canola rotation and be done with it all.

Comments?

Lots of success here with wheat/canola wheat/canola . . . It literally has built farms. It’s not just for “coasters”. It has been “dazzling”!

Spring wheat is the go to wheat. Winter wheat used to work for some but spring wheat at 85 bu/ac vs winter wheat at 65 quashed that.

If barley is your choice for cereal Synergy or Connect have straight cut we’ll for us.