Lentils questions??

[freewheat]

Was down in caronport yesterday, so saw a lot of lentils. Cleanest field weed wise was in some rolling land south of Raymore.

My question is, why are the lentil crops almost always so dang dirty and full of mustard etc.? Does not the lack of weed control hammer yield on such a low growing crop?

Is it a herb resistance issue? Poor herb choice? Sencor not enough? No control in non lentil years? Too tight a rotation? Up here, it is rare to see much mustard anymore, unless you are organic. Some of the fields look quite hideous in mustard density, gotta be hard on yield? Why so much mustard?

Just curious, not meaning ill will on anyone in that corridor who may have lentils there, but it really stuck out to me. Always has really. Just a pondering I had after making the drive yesterday...

[Klause]

Was down in caronport yesterday, so saw a lot of lentils. Cleanest field weed wise was in some rolling land south of Raymore.

My question is, why are the lentil crops almost always so dang dirty and full of mustard etc.? Does not the lack of weed control hammer yield on such a low growing crop?

Is it a herb resistance issue? Poor herb choice? Sencor not enough? No control in non lentil years? Too tight a rotation? Up here, it is rare to see much mustard anymore, unless you are organic. Some of the fields look quite hideous in mustard density, gotta be hard on yield? Why so much mustard?

Just curious, not meaning ill will on anyone in that corridor who may have lentils there, but it really stuck out to me. Always has really. Just a pondering I had after making the drive yesterday...

Not many herbicide / preplant options....


Ares about the hardest you can hit clearfield lentils with, and doesn't do much for group 2 resistant kochia and canada thistle.

[Rareearth]

Well they are likely on canola stubble, it's canola not mustard? Canola can volunteer for years.

If they were easy to grow any body could grow them,😀.
There are a lot of moving parts to this crop, economics, rotation, farming practices, fall pre harvest/pre freeze spraying, timing for seeding-earlier weedier, weather conditions at time of seeding and the next 6 weeks(ground cover) early they are not very competitive, etc

[bucket]

Sencor followed by heavy rain can be a disaster.

Lots of guys started with clean crops but little showers brought on second third and fourth flushes of weeds.

This is where some checkoff money could be spent. Chemical companies don't chase 5 million acres of lentils.

But maybe producers could own the chemical rights thru checkoff dollars.

[sumdumguy]

Lentils actually like a scattering of mustard plants. Lentils are of the pea family and they like to crawl up on something. Most noticeable when combining. To pacify ourselves we used to say, " If you can't grow weeds, you can't grow lentils".

Sencor is pretty crappy, but it helps, otherwise we wouldn't be able to grow them at all. Bucket, that's a good idea. The pulse board doesn't know what to do with all the money.

[freewheat]

Well they are likely on canola stubble, it's canola not mustard? Canola can volunteer for years.

Definitely mustard imo.

[bucket]

Sumdumguy

Guys are trying potato chemicals to save their lentils on shortened rotations.

I think there is a void to fill on both disease, insect and weed control in pulses.

If the big chemical companies are not willing to do it maybe our money would be better spent on that than being able to grow 90 bpa and have the price at 6 cents.

[sumdumguy]

If we could bring US chemicals over the border at a fraction of the cost, it would help. Wouldn't it be nice to see what others are trying and the results? It's all one big experiment. Some years it works and other years not so much. Just great to have all the Agrivillers sharing their own experiences is a big bonus in our books.

[bucket]

Sundumguy

I hear about these things just by asking what a certain chemical...phostrol....is doing in the shed.

I think the pulse growers should be more proactive in looking for solutions that can be published and then used...

Some guys won't give up their secrets. ... I could care less if i try something and it works.... I won't be growing that crop on the same field for 4 years...

Why not have some published info that can help all producers...using checkoff money?

[macdon02]

Using spud fungi? Sounds like a dandy way to get a boatload of $.40 lentils turned into $.06. Shoot shovel and shut up. ..... especially on the net

[bucket]

It wasn't me. ..this is the first year in a decade that I am growing lentils.

But guys are trying things to alleviate their shortened rotation.

It's worth it at 40 cent contracts I guess but I see a tonne of yellow in lentils on lentils.

[bucket]

But maybe this is where research starts to help producers ....and publish the results....rather than wait for chemical companies to see a ROI on acres we are not making progress that fast.

[sumdumguy]

Funny thing, a long-time Italian buyer of ours just asked for a list of chemicals farmers use during a normal lentil growing season. First time ever we've been asked. Gotta get it done for Monday morning. What's up?