Which crops have the most yield loss from late seeding?

[poorboy]

I farm in southern alberta and am normally 3/4 done seeding by now. This year I am 10% done and am still days away from returning to the field. I have hard red spring wheat, 2 row barley, argentine canola, and yellow field peas yet to seed.

If all goes well it would take another 2 weeks to seed, which would put me about May 21-25 as a finish date. Assuming that it will not freeze in the fall, which crops should go in the ground first (ie. which ones will hurt yield wise from the summer heat)? I am thinking that canola should be planted first, followed by wheat, then peas, then finally barley.

Looking for ideas and opinions from those that have had to make these choices before.

Thank you

[FarmRanger]

Peas do less well than wheat in the summer heat, so I'd switch those 2 around. Other than that, you've got the order of seeding that I'd do, for what it's worth.

[mhartman]

I think your intended seeding sequence is OK. Wheat or peas could be switched if mid-summer heat is anticipated, but if wheat quality is more important vs feed pea, then wheat could still be seeded before the peas.
The decision will depend both on yield response (which crop is affected most by mid-summer heat) as well as risk of quality loss by fall frost (canola and wheat quality are sensitive to fall frost).
A few years ago I summarized 3 years of seeding date / yield information from AFSC.
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/crop5757

[rodb]

Murray

Is it to late to plant canola? What kind of yield loss would we expect over one planted on May 1st? We are goiung ahead today but our acreage is being cut back by wet areas and so will leave seed in the warehouse for next year.

[mhartman]

The yield loss from later seeding is not the greatest risk -- it is the higher probability of fall frost damaging quality and lowering grade / price. If you are in a traditional canola growing area in AB (Parkland or Peace country) then seeding in late May will often drop yields by 10-20% compared to early May. But if an early fall frost (last week of August, first week of Sept)occurs, and with average growing season heat units, then canola quality (green seed) will be damaged. Price can drop to 50% for sample.
When it is too late?
The May long weekend if often stated as the cutoff for Argentine canola seeding. That's a reasonable rule for the traditional canola growing area. In that area, Argentine canola in most years will take about 110 days to mature. Adding 110 days to May 21 takes us to Sept 8, which is around the date of the first frost in the Parkland and Peace.
I compiled a 13 year summary of maturity for Argentine canola from regional variety trials. Here's a few location rough averages:
Beaverlodge, Grande Prairie - 113 days
Fairview, Fort V., High Level - 105
Westlock, Barrhead, Vimy - 112
Edmonton, Fort. Sask. - 109
Camrose, New Norway - 108
Lacombe, Penhold, Innisfail - 112
Vegreville, Myrnam - 104
Carstairs, Olds - 117
Irricana, Strathmore - 106
Lethbridge - 97