By Garth Donald, Supervisor of Agronomy, Decisive Farming by TELUS Agriculture
24 years in the past, once I first began on this enterprise, virtually each farmer planted canola at precisely the identical price. Regardless of how sandy or loamy, excessive or low moisture, productive or skinny yielding the land, and irrespective of how plump or slim the seed, we planted 10 acres to the bag. However, as a result of canola seed is pricey and canola corporations had been invested in optimum manufacturing, seeding price practices modified. At the moment, 1000 kernel weight (TKW) testing is a given in canola, corn, sunflower, and beans, and variable price seeding is intriguing an increasing number of producers.
In cereals, nonetheless, growers nonetheless are likely to plant by really feel and behavior. After I ask a grower their cereal per acre seeding price, the commonest reply is, “Oh, nicely a few bushel. Possibly a bushel and a bit.” Quite than planting primarily based on seedbed utilization or vegetation per sq. foot, many cereal farmers nonetheless plant primarily based on “that’s the best way my dad did it” custom.
However right here’s the factor: cereals are not any totally different than row crops or canola. If you wish to get probably the most out of your land – and let’s face it with at this time’s land and enter costs, that’s the one method to survive in agriculture – it’s good to put the appropriate variety of seeds within the floor.
Planting the appropriate price allows a farmer to use the appropriate price of vitamins with no losing and no shortchanging. It additionally permits proactive moisture administration. In dry years, a heavy-seeded area would possibly look extra productive, however an optimally-seeded area will really yield.
Additionally, seeding proper promotes plant well being and floor cowl to finest handle weeds.
Weed resistance is a giant deal. Already we’re seeing the unfold of Roundup-resistant kochia, group 1, 2 and 8-resistant wild oats, and extra. Nevertheless, one of many easiest, first-line-of-defense instruments to handle resistance is selling a robust plant inhabitants that covers the bottom shortly and adequately.
So, right here’s what I like to recommend.
First, worth your cereal seed. When farmers use their very own seed, they hardly ever view that seed as having worth past the $1.50 or $2.00 price of seed remedy and cleansing. However seed – homegrown or in any other case – has inherent worth. Take feed barley, for instance: when you might have bought that barley for $8/bu to a mill, it’s nonetheless value $8/bu going again into your area. Placing a greenback determine on the seed you save for planting could make it simpler to view it as a real useful resource worthy of exact administration.
Second, spend money on a TKW take a look at. Sure, even in cereals. The $20 price and small quantity of effort means you will have the knowledge it’s good to make correct price choices.
Third, begin shifting in direction of matching your seeding charges as carefully as doable to what’s really occurring in your fields. For some farmers, optimizing seeding price might imply full variable price seeding. To them I say, unbelievable: variable price seeding is completely the best way of the longer term and the best way to get the very most out of your land base. For different farmers, nonetheless, optimizing seeding price might imply adjusting charges on a area by area or space by space foundation. To them I additionally say, unbelievable: small steps in direction of optimized seeding charges are a giant enchancment over a one-size-fits-the-whole-farm seeding technique.
Lastly, do not forget that you’re not by yourself. A great deal of nice sources and recommendation can be found at this time that will help you make choices that may work to your distinctive farm priorities.