A Few Tips Before Jumping All-In on Soybeans in Saskatchewan

[fjlip]

http://www.realagriculture.com/2012/11/a-few-tips-before-jumping-all-in-on-soybeans-in-saskatchewan/

[HappyFarmer]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/goO1VdsaM1U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[freewheat]

Trouble is, I know that this is the
first and only year the crop has worked
in this area, out of about 6. There have
been more yields under 20 than there
have been above. One year of great luck,
and a long fall, and a warm growing
season, does not make this crop a
winner. Yet. I will be watching Morris
with great interest next year, as in
this cool damp area, I think we will
need much better varieties.

I think we need some experiences from
someone who doesn't sell seed. Only part
of the story is being told here IMO.
acting like this year is anything like
typical for this area, and that beans
always work, when wrecks are an
occurence 75% of the time, is kind of
disingenuous.

Again, not to be a stickler, but there
is more to this story. Lets start with
the Foam lake part. He does not farm
"near Foam lake". Unless you call 30
miles north of Foam lake and 15 south of
Kelvington, "Foam lake". He sells bean
seed. Just a few points I feel need to
be shared.

Nothing against him personally at all,
he is a great guy. Just there is more to
it than the video would seem to bear
out.

I will watch closely, and hope to grow
beans when they are more adapted for
sure, and have crop insurance coverage
competetive with canola. Last year,
beans were uninsurable here. Canola was
insurable for 385 dollars an acre for my
farm. I can therefore afford the "100
dollars extra cost an acre". with zero
insurance for beans, at least last year,
I could not afford the risk...

Cheers.

[jcv]

Another concern is grade, hearing alot
of less than optional grades.

[HappyFarmer]

My thing with beans is still the risk.
Sure some of the varieties out there are going to work out alright,and sure are going to be less inputs but generally in the non traditional areas the opprotunity to make make more money on wheat, canola, barley, is still far greater IMO. In areas like southern manitoba, have at with beans! Its a no brainer. Insurable crop with a low likely hood that bean are not going to make it in those southern areas. But non traditional areas, we just arn't ready yet.
Trying new, lower input crops, high risk crops is better when grain prices are low, not right now.
Probably in 3 to 4 years are going to have various varieties from various companies that are going to fit right in non-traditional areas like they fit into southern manitoba right now. Thats when we will try them.

[bgmb]

I would hazard a guess most of his beans are
going for seed. Very foolish to grow any amount
without insurance in northern areas.

[fasf]

All good points. If anyone else wants some testimonials I will be happy to pass along names from across Saskatchewan. Yes soybeans range in yields from 6 to 42 across Saskatchewan over the last 4 years. 2 and 3 years ago, CHU's were 80% of normal. 2012 was 115% of normal. As another point, canola and peas didn't hit bumper crops the first year they were grown.

Yes, I grow and retail soybean seed. I don't apologize for it. Even if I were not growing/retailing seed, I still would be growing soybeans. Growing seed soybeans is not a slam dunk (vigour/germination concerns, never mind variety trends). I pride myself in educating producers and research "new" crops to grow. I aim for repeat customers, not just generating a one time sale. Watch acres jump up dramatically this year, supported by producers purchasing seed from line companies or retails with no experience of knowledge of soybeans, supporting varieties that are not light sensitive, giving poor agronomic support and advise, then there will be some major wrecks.

Risk in inherent in all we do. With other crops, we are more aware of the risks. Soybeans, the whole book of knowledge for Saskatchewan is not opened yet. In the 8 years of growing soybeans at Saltcoats, comparing soybeans at 28 bu/ac (our average) to our canola (38 bu/ac average), our nets are similar using average canola inputs. Because of our rotation (soy-soy-canola-winter triticale), we normally drop our N for our canola by 1/2 (60 # instead of 120). That improves our canola net and reduces our TOTAL FARM RISK. This past year, because of the tall growth & high N fixation from 2011, from tissue tests, we did not add ANY N to our canola, averaging 30. Higher than the region's average. A 28 bushel soy crop at $13 is good money ($364) plus you have some N fixed with about $125 cash costs invested (net $239). Grading is rarely an issue.

SK Crop Insurance has almost lived in our fields. Expect a "significant" news release on soybean coverage from them. The first 6 years growing soybeans, I never had the option of crop insurance.

As for Morris, I'm glad he got a decent soybean crop. He is a nice guy. The last few years in the Kuroki area, not much of anything got produced due to flooding. And no, his production was not destined for seed. He was growing it because he believed that soybeans were the crop that could make him money on his farm.

I started out growing conventional varieties in 2001-2003. Took 2004 off (thank goodness) and found some daylight sensitive varieties to work with in 2005 on 35 acres, now we are at 45% of our acres (600 acres of soybeans) as soys, with no crop insurance. As a crop, we love them. Not everyone is going to grow them, or give them a chance. I have no problem with that. There are areas I have identified that are high risk for soybeans (cool nights/more frost prone).

Like always, always open to discussion.

Kevin R. Elmy, P.Ag.
Friendly Acres Seed Farm
kevin.elmy@friendlyacres.sk.ca
www.friendlyacres.sk.ca
306-744-2332

[seedman]

Wow... this thread got quiet all of a sudden... if you listen quietly you can hear the crickets! Way to go Elmy....way to kill a thread by putting factual information out there....lol!