The Storm sucked for moisture, had lots of wind, lets do a poll how dry are you?

[Sodbuster]

In the last half dozen years years I feel that genetics played the biggest role in higher wheat yields.

[WiltonRanch]

Genetics definitely helped but my wheat yields have been great with a 20 year old variety. I know with newer breeds I’d be even higher but I think it’s a combination of better fertility, weed management, disease control, seeding technology, and more water. More rain and better management has added 20 bushels to wheat yields on old varieties. Canola genetics is where yield stability improvements has come the most. Still need the conditions to hit those top yields. The best intentions of mice and men.

[Sheepwheat]

In the last half dozen years years I feel that genetics played the biggest role in higher wheat yields.

Genetics, high fertilizer rates, fungicides on everything. We’re faking it unnaturally.

I’d love to see those yields posted beside average n rates. How much n did guys use in 1980’s on average?

[AlbertaFarmer5]

In the last half dozen years years I feel that genetics played the biggest role in higher wheat yields.

The highest yielding wheat variety in Alberta most years (and usually by a wide margin) according to AFSC crop insurance records is close to 40 years old. And unlike the newest varieties I keep trying, I never need to fungicide it, it also stands better than anything else I've tried

[Sodbuster]

Genetics, high fertilizer rates, fungicides on everything. We’re faking it unnaturally.

I’d love to see those yields posted beside average n rates. How much n did guys use in 1980’s on average?

I have to agree that we’re using more fertilizer now and fungicide. Brandon was one of the earlier semi dewarf varieties that had good lodging resistance, before that we were limited to how much N we put on due to lodging.

[SASKFARMER]

Brandon Changed Ag on the East side we always grew more straw than wheat seeds. So thick you couldn't imagine than one big rain in August and flat as a pancake.

Brandon wins the wheat of Change for us.

Now 2020 it won't matter if your a direct seeder and prescription service and have an agronomist on staff all mean nothing unless it rains.

Sorry to break some people kinds bubble but that's a fact jack.

[furrowtickler]

It’s been quite a game . We were all told we needed to up production to feed the world . They don’t make more land and the growing population required us to produce way more .
Well farmers and the ag industry reacted.
Yields of all crops in general have jumped dramatically since the 80’s let alone the 60’s due to many factors .
Vastly improved farming practices like min till , fertilizer use efficiency, more detail to seed and fertilizer placements and accuracy. More detail to fertilizer ratios.
Crop genetics have helped a lot but not as much as the above imo . You can take today’s genetics in crops and use 1960’s farming practices and the advantages would be minimal at best.
The biggest jump has been in min till in most areas , fertilizer use efficiency, fertility rates and highly effective and efficient seeding tools . Fungicides have helped but not as much as most would like to believe.
It’s farmer practices that has changed the most to improve yields.
Now we are being told it’s not good , we need to change .... again , to reduce carbon emissions.
I guess farmers got too efficient at improving yields by better management use of inputs , time and machinery.

[bucket]

Just to play devils advocate...

Give two guys the same amount of fertilizer and seed and 160 acres...

If a guy preworked a field then floated on fertilizer, then seeded with a set of $1500 discers, would the crop net much different in the end?

When you consider machinery costs those higher yields are a must are they not?

I watch this between neighbors within a 30 mile radius every year...more than likely those $1500 discers are netting more per acre...but he's not on a grand scale

[checking]

...but he's not on a grand scale

Well, actually he is on a grand and a half scale!!

[AC man]

Ya 88 was the year that instead of 1 combine and 2 trucks you took 2 combines and 1 truck and brought the truck home yourself when you got tired after dark.

That is so true about that year! Good friend of mine had 2 combines and 1 semi with tandem trailer and never filled it in the day. They were combining to get enough wheat for seed.

[tweety]

No edit button.

I said we are not dryer than 1981 not even close but 2021 isn’t starting very well.

How many crops have you lost in March and April?

[AlbertaFarmer5]

How many crops have you lost in March and April?

I have a neighbor who was new to Canada. He seeded canola in April once, a month before anyone else seeded anything. It froze as is to be expected around here. So then he sued the air seeder company and dealership because it was their fault.

So that's one crop lost in April. Could have frost seeded canola in March this year and lost it to frost if someone really wanted to.