When is it to late??

[coppertop]

I farm in West Central Sask, between Kinistino, an Prince Albert. We are only have done seeding, we have had 8.5 inches of rain since May 10. Nobody in this neighborhood is done. Probably within a 100 mile radius of me you would be lucky to find many guys done. My question is this when does it become simply to late to keep seeding?? Crop Insurance has told me we have to keep trying until the 22nd of June, or no $50/acre coverage. I think thats nuts I know seeding right now I'm not going to get it off what I have seeded already frost free. So does it make sense to throw $120/acre in the ground when you know your going to lose it? What can a guy do when Crop Insurance is forcing me to???

[coppertop]

Sorry that should say half done seeding not have.

[cowman]

Now I'm not real up on my crops...but I can remember times, from my younger days, when we got a late frost and had to replant, probably in late June? Of course in those days good old Gateway 63 barley was around, and like the name implies it took 63 days to get there!
Seems to me we always got it off. Although there was always the option of taking it as greenfeed, I guess. You had a lot of options when you ran cows, grain and hogs? Maybe that is why a mixed farm worked so well?

[ruggb]

This is always a tough question to answer. Tell me when the first frost is coming and I'll tell you when it,s too late.
I approach it this way: Wheat takes about 100 days give or take to mature. Depends on variety and summer weather. I also think crops seeded later pop out of the ground faster and sometimes catch up a little.
Suppose you seed tomorrow (June 12). Then 100 days would mean a crop that reaches swathing maturity on about Sept 20.
What are the odds of getting to Sept 20 without a killing frost in your area?
Barley and Polish canola can mature in 80 to 90 days under the right conditions although some varities are later than this.
Using 90 days puts it at Sept 10.
If we get a hot summer that could move the maturity up a little more.
It just comes down to odds.
I remember a year when it was so damn dry the canola didn,t germinate till the end of June. The heat speeded the crop up and the frost held off and we still did alright.
If we get a major frost on Aug 1 like we did a few years ago we,re all screwed.
Now is getting late (ie. the odds start to go against you) for the longer season crops such as wheat and argentine canola. There is better odds for early barley, polish canola and oats.

[Ron]

Look at alternate uses for the crop. Barley for greenfeed etc. The problem is there isnt any money in barley if you combine it so you will probably lose money. Are you better off chem fallow for the year? At least you know the cost when you start vs a crappy crop of barley nobody wants?
I dont know about you (and it depends on how many acres) but I left a bit of summerfallow (chemfallow) for the first time in 12 years because by the time I fought with the trash (stripper header last fall and fire ban this spring were a bad combination) I dont think my yield potential was worthwhile. Maybe plan on winter wheat this fall?
Good luck