soybeans on dryland in Saskatchewan

[SASKFARMER3]

THat was 31 years ago I was at a grad of
friend of a friend. Names got me! I
remember it was about 6 to 8 south of
town.

[MBgrower]

Flip, if you have stones you need to use a land
roller, roll after planting. Majority of Manitoba
farmers roll, as our varieties, and shorter growing
season leads to short low podded plants.
Midwest US farmers don't know what a land roller
is, as their plants are often 4 feet tall. Our crops
this year were waste high, just like in the Midwest.
40 - 55 bu yields.

[fasf]

We have been growing soybeans in the Yorkton area for 11 years now. Averaging 28 bushels per acre. It has reduced our nitrogen requirements by 60 pounds per acre on our canola. Yes they are not as drought resistance as chickpeas. My recommendation is if you can successfully grow chickpeas, stick with them. If disease is an issue, soybeans may work. You need stored water to drive soybean yields (or rain). We have rocks and rolling land. Soybeans are making our farm profitable. We need to look for daylight sensitive varieties for Saskatchewan, need to roll, need to be able to cut within 2" of the soil surface, need to use liquid AND granular inoculants, and need to have defensive beans. We have 45% of our seeded acreage as soybeans, and have had for 6 years. Love them.

[TOM4CWB]

fasf,

I do think the 'stored water' application may be key in the long run to shorten the maturity. Soy is SO SLOW in the spring and a little moisture can heat up the soil and get them going faster. As I said before we need major research to drive down heat unit requirements and maturity. Pulse growers are pushing to have these issues dealt with in the next research clusters with the feds.

It is the chicken and the egg. 2012 was great as when even northern AB has Soy hitting over 40bu/ac on the yeild monitor in places... WITHOUT drying needed... we have begun to make an impact big enough to make this project go. My target.... 2022 we can replace half our Canola with short Soy with 30bu/ac target yeild.

Who thinks this is possible for east central AB?
Remember 2010... lentils would NOT mature off and ended up all feed because it was too cool to mature them... even with reglone applied at the proper time (Sept 7th Reglone would not even work when appled on a clear day 20C)as it was too cold after (2c night 12c daytime temps)

Cheers!

[fasf]

For dry areas practicing chem fallow/cover crops to store water, soys may have a nice fit. Extra stored water then the soys to clean up the land, fix some N. Summer fallow doesn't seem to work with them.

Lowering the CHU is somewhat important. Ignore most of the CHU rating for RR2 soybeans as of now. They are not correct. Seed companies are so anxious to get "early" maturing soybeans, they are just labelling them as "early". They aren't. Can't fool the plants that much. Day light sensitivity is how we are going to grow soys in the West. Plant breeders are asking me what their priorities should be. Neat place to be.

Plots at Harbins Seeds (Rivercourse, AB) had soybeans at 28 and 34 bushels per acre this year. Future for soys look good!

[Hopperbin]

Fasf I drove from Humboldt to Yorkton on Thursday via hiway 16 there was no soybean stubble at all, where is your farm from Yorkton?

[fasf]

Se of Yorkton on the corner of no where and not
the yet. Actually on the junctions of the Atwater
and bredenbury grids. 15 km off highway 16

[Hopperbin]

on the corner of no where and not
the yet,

At least you have an adress