Canola Information 2018

 < Canolawatch.com >  great source of information from Canada.  How much is transferrable to our operation is a question at this point, but it's someplace to start.

Market:  8/15/18--Near term looks bearish. Soy prices are dropping, and there is a good canola crop in US and Canada.  Price recovery will probably not happen until January or beyond.
Harvest prep:  Three dry down products are diquat, saflufenacil, and glyphosate.  Diquat stops development nearly immediately.  With diquat, the crop needs to be 90% brown seed on the entire plant, --main stem and branches.   Saflufenacil can be applied a little earlier with the crop at 75% brown seed on the main stem.  Glyphosate offers the earliest application with plants at 30% moisture.  The product is good for variable maturity in a non roundup tolerant crop.
Storage: To store long term have clean canola (not weedy) that tests at 8% moisture or lower, (preferable 5-6%).  Can cut and store clean canola, with aeration, to ~12%, but need to watch carefully for hot spots.  Clean canola at 8% can be store in non-aerated bin without much worry (check bin on regular basis).  If canola measures 8%, but there are high moisture spots that is part of the harvested crop, consider rotating bins to redistribute material. 
Delivery: Have some kind of contract on file with Viterra indicating approximate quantity so space is saved at the plant for harvest delivery.  Harvested weedy canola needs to be delivered directly to theWarden plant for immediate cleaning and crushing (call prior to cutting or delivering product to Warden plant). 

RAINFALL -- 1998 to 2018

        This pic  updates the original post of Feb 1, 2016 under the title [OUR FARMS HISTORIC RAINFALL] to include 2016-2017 year totals along with the corresponding line graph.
        For 2018 we appear to be above average in rainfall again.  Are we experiencing a long term trend of higher than average rainfall?  Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it!  Back in 2006, you can see that we had 4 years with above average rainfall and then 2007 brought us back to reality, bouncing around, from a high in 2006 to a low in 2013, then making a steady gain to our all time high in 2017. This variation should indicate that you can't make cropping decisions on what happened last year.  It would be better to develop a diverse rotation that includes, legume, brassica, cereal cultivars; then tweek between high and low water use cultivars within those categories to address your best guess as to what the weather will bring.  It is my contention that future financial survivability will depend on our soils biological and structural health, and that means reduce tillage, increase crop diversity, and keep the soil surface covered, --as the beginning.  More rapid improvement in soil health will probably require application of compost "extracts" to add fungal, protozoa, and beneficial nematode life forms to our depleted soil, and multi-species covers to support them beyond our normal crop cultivars.  How to do this in an unstable, low moisture environment is the challenge, --but one that needs to be faced.
       As I read/listen to the news it seems that our weather is getting more unpredictable and more extreme, --I wonder how long it will be before one of those storms heavily laden with moisture will reach our area.   While admitting that my mindset has been riveted on how to minimize the loss of moisture we currently receive, it is becoming a nagging concern as to how well our farming system would hold up under a barrage of rain.  With all my comments on the amount of residue we have, and able to seed into, our most vulnerable ground (high, steep and eroded) is still exposed.  Now that we are comfortable seeding into high volume residue, we need to concentrate on better protection of vulnerable areas by replacing the cash crop with covers specific to build surface protection and soil structure for a year or two.

SPRING SEEDING 2018

<--Last year our spring Canola never had this much color, --and our yield reflected the fact.  Last year, three weeks of +/- 100 degree heat beat up all spring crops in the area and caught our canola at the start of bloom.
       This pic shows a week of bloom.  It appears to take about a week to reach maximum color. Hopefully we will see this for another couple of weeks (or more).

    This spring we seeded spring canola, and a field with a cover crop mix.  No other spring crop was drilled, neither cereal or legume.   At SJ/Ewan we seeded canola at 5#/a on 10" rows @ ≥1" and Thornton we seeded 5#/a on 10" @≤1" depth with the CrossSlot drill.  The cultivar was a HighClass RR variety so that we could get another whack at Rattail Fescue and Downy Brome with Roundup.
   Early Field evaluation:
       In general, it appears that 5#/a provides  a high population, --good/bad(?)
       We have holes in the stand.  The small in-row holes are likely do to the low seeding rate of a very small seed metered through our old valmar air delivery system.  Any motion or attitude change of the drill will cause slight deceleration or acceleration of seed delivery with this type metering system.  
        The Large holes involving several openers or the whole drill width are a different story.  The tall heavy residue is playing a part.  Scouting and evaluating the canola stand the past 2-3 weeks have led us to the conclusion that we should leave a seeded field with the residue flat on the ground, and seed no shallower than 1.25".  The canola stand at SJ/Ewan is very good, but Thornton is a different story.  There are a lot of holes.  There are plants struggling through tangled, half height  residue, and areas where the seed didn't get into the ground sufficiently.  Thornton fields were wet and cold.  We shallowed up the seeding depth and reduced opener down pressure, --a mistake!  When we think back over the years of planting with the CrossSlot, we have never had a problem of emerging a crop from seeding too deep, --the problems, when developed,  have always been from seeding too shallow.  
        The technology developed in the CrossSlot opener has the ability to emerge a crop from greater depths than is normally acceptable under the "conditions", but it is difficult to break the mindset of shallowing up seeding depth with cold wet soil.  With a "seasoned" field (one with years of low disturbance no-till), which we have, water drains rapidly, --and the soil warms quickly when disturbed in the drilling process.

<--This pic shows a Thornton field with tall, heavy residue. You can see holes in the stand, which, unfortunately, there are many.  At first we thought it may be chemistry since this is an area that had an abundance of Canadian Thistle.  It turns out to be that the seed was placed too shallow, or the mat to thick.  That's easily corrected for another year, --set the drill a little deeper and apply a little more down pressure.
    The Flea Beetle has been a problem in some fields but we don't see any evidence of that pest.  One symptom of their presence is where they severe cotyledons leaving bare patches in the field.  Cold, damp, slow growing conditions favor that type damage.  

<--This pic, taken earlier, shows the visual difference between tall, heavy residue in the background and no residue in the foreground.
The canola in the background looks rough, but it actually is a good stand.  In a week or two,  I'll add a pic from this same location. 
      The lack of residue in the foreground  makes the field look a lot better, --but I think it is only visual.  This piece (foreground) is new to us, very wet, never direct seeded.  This area had some standing water when we did our preplant Roundup application, but we were able to drill it without difficulty. 
      At SJ we also have ~50a where we replaced our regular fertility with fish, sea salt, humid acid.  We're participating with a group to learn more about "biologicals".  I think I've called these "snake oil" in the past.  I'll address our experience with this later in another post.  At this point in time it isn't impressive, --we'll see.

<--[Update: 6/27 pic]  The same area as above with canola in full bloom.   This pic is zoomed out further.  Both the foreground and background looks very good.  We have experienced good weather for the canola bloom this year.  Some areas on the plants are showing evidence of some cold nights.
     Unfortunately there are two other fields that don't look this good.  Recent evaluation of these fields haven't changed our earlier conclusion, --seeded to shallow for the amount of residue that exists on some of the areas.  Canola doesn't like wet feet, but this condition was short lived as other wet areas with good stands attest.

    Evaluating the Cover Crop field:  I updated the "Cover Crop" page to reflect what has been done for the spring of 2018.  Another update will be added when we decide how and when we will terminate the stand.
                 

2018 Crop Year -- Rainfall - SJ/Ewan

                                  CROP YEAR (AUG/JULY)
August 2017 --> 0.00",  September 2017 --> 0.69",  October 2017 --> 1.98"
November 2017 --> 2.96",  December 2017 --> 3.16",  January 2018 --> 2.42"
February 2018 --> 1.58",  March 2018 --> 1.45",  April 2018 --> 1.99"
May 2018 --> 1.07",  June 2018 (6/11) ≠ 0.40",  July 2018 =?
                                    TOTAL TO DATE: = 17.70"
We are nearly 3.0" ahead of our long term average for the year.  The remainder of June, July and August normally add little to our year's total.

2017 Rainfall Summary for SJ/Ewan

     By reviewing my posts I see that I never updated our rainfall for 2017.  View the post of July 16th, 2017 for update by months.  [ Click on "rainfall" in labels and scroll down to post.] 
                   The totals are listed here.
2017 Crop Yr:          (August / July) ----------  Total = 20.67"
2017 Calendar Yr:   (January / December) --- Total = 21.05"

Two Pass vs Single Pass No-Till

        Two pass no-till is an oxymoron; however, it is a term used, and a BM practice (in our area), allowing participants to access USDA and Ecology money as an incentive to try no-till for erosion control.  I have never been a fan of the practice, feeling that success would be erratic and it may be an inoculant against no-tilling.  That question is still not answered.

       For nearly 40 years I have listened to researchers talk about what it takes for maximum yields, whether it be a conventional tillage, or no-till system.  There are many factors that go into high yields but two are always part of the list.  They are:
                ---Place seed in soil (not residue).  Most crop cultivars grow through and among residue without any growth issues as long as the seed is placed in soil.  All the issues I have heard about have been with seed being in close contact with decaying residue.
                ---Cotyledons need to emerge within three days of each other.  Thirty-five plus years ago I first heard a speaker (and several since), mention that seed can lay in the ground for some time; however, when conditions allow the seed to germinate, cotyledons emerging within three days of each other comprise 90% of a crops yield.  You can imagine how this be the case.  All plants compete for sunlight, nutrients and water.  If one gets a jump start of four or more days, that plant develops roots and leaves before the other plants in it's sphere of influence, and takes the lion share of everything.  The plants emerging later will be starved to some extent, and can actually degrade the overall quality of the crop.
       Operations associated with 2 pass no-till systems in our area just don't meet the two parameters mentioned above, of seed placement for timely emergence.  A lot of N is lost in a surface application of fertilizer unless the operation can be timed with a rain, --this results in most fertilizer being shanked 4-6 inches into the ground.  Shanked fields are rough and cloddy and residue, if there is any, is left clumped.  Drills normally used for conventional tillage systems are then rolled over these rough fields dropping seed erratically in/on the ground and residue.  If the stars line up right you can get a decent looking crop started; however, most look bad.  To improve emergence, harrows or packers have been allowed and still qualify for two-pass operations.  In my mind these operations then become reduced tillage operations.  Reduced tillage systems do reduce water erosion in a lot of cases, but still, they are not nearly as effective as a high disturbance one pass no-till drill system, in either plant emergence or soil erosion.

COVER-CROP INFORMATION

       A good article in No-Till Farmer (June 18th, 2018 edition) on the experience of John Stigge.  Stigge no-tills corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, milo and raises livestock on 2000ac near Washington, KS.  He has cover cropped ground for many years.  Real progress has been made to soil health in the past 5 years, after years of trial and error, and some notable failures.   He has found that grazing cover-crops have given him positive income when grain has not, and that grazing has accelerated microbiology.   Here are some points he expressed that I found pertinent.  Keep in mind this is KS, with a much longer growing season than we have in the Inland Northwest.
     ---Three main species work synergistically!  He states that brassicas, legumes and grasses work together supporting soil biology and providing nutrients for cash crops.  He has found that using the three together has been the secret to getting the results he wants.
     ---Use of Grasses in mixes!  Stigge finds grasses are an essential foundation to cover-crop mixes.  He likes annual ryegrass as it's relatively inexpensive, grows extensive, deep root systems, and are easy to terminate.  After starting to use annual ryegrass, his OM started to jump.
      Cereal rye is used by many no-tillers.  He states that those looking for cover, but have to put up with late seeding dates, go this route but he found cereal rye problematic and quit using the cultivar.  (my note:  I have found only one other article expressing a concern using cereal rye, --and I know it is problematic.  We are still rouging cereal rye out of our fields after 70+ years since it's introduction.  That one article cautioned, to use cereal rye seed that the supplier can certify being one cereal rye cultivar, and not a mix of 5 cultivars that is commonly sold as cereal rye.  Growth habits vary with each type of cultivar. )

<---pic shows cereal rye plant in WW.  65 years ago you could hardly see the wheat for the rye.  Today, we still walk our fields and find a few stalks of rye.  If you miss a year, you have a bigger problem the next year.  
         Stigge also noted that cereal rye, once it hits boot stage has the value of compost from a grazing standpoint.
        Oats are a great soil conditioner and hold their grazing value through it's life cycle.  Stigge likes using oats, vetch, peas, and a brassica for weed control in his organic program.  After it dies he grazes calves through the winter with no additional feed.  He once rolled out a bale of alfalfa and they used it for bedding, not interested in eating any of it.
    ---Use of Legumes in mixes!  Stigge includes a legume in all his mixes.  They are expensive but very important part of his mixes and about half the mix cost.  They not only sequester free N in the soil but support rhizobia bacterium to fix N, and feed mycorrhizal fungi that serve as the transportation network bringing nutrients from plant to plant.  Legumes also aid in the formation of globulin which is important for soil aggregation.  Vetch (seeded in summer or early fall) is a good spring grazing cultivar if you don't have to terminate to early.  He likes Naomi Wooly Pod vetch, a variety from Australia.  It will start nodules after seven days.  He likes cow peas and they all die with one 37F night in either spring or fall (probably not an option for us where we will reach that temp, or lower, nearly every month of the year).  Stigge likes flying on crimson clover with annual ryegrass.  Berseem clover is for warm season use.  He has found Sunn hemp is good.  Seed is becoming more available and with better inoculants.  It does require heat though to perform well.  Sunn hemp builds a lot of N and has a tap root that goes deep.
      ---Use of Brassicas in mixes!  He has found that brassicas bring up nutrients from deep in the profile and make them available to cash crops.  Their exudates break off calcium, sulfur and other minerals from phosphorous compounds to make them more available.  He likes mustards and radishes, and particularly the bayou kale-rapeseed cross.  This cross has an exceptional root structure.  This cross also brings in a lot of leaf eaters, but they quickly are countered by predator bugs, so don't apply insecticides.  Stigge finds that Daikon radish is great for loosing top soil but the leaves are bitter and livestock don't like it until after a frost.