Ag Update Crop Rotation Session Jan updated 2020 · 2020-03-04 · “Don’t be a TWO Crop Pony” • Know you have other options! • Know your potential yield • Be aware of

1/29/2020

1

CROP ROTATION

Al Hampton – Starland County

Jeremy Boychyn – Alberta Wheat & Barley

Keith Gabert – Canola Council

Nevin Rosaasen – Alberta Pulse

Sources of Information

• Fellow Producers

• Crop commissions

• Alberta Agriculture Staff & Website

• Yield Alberta Publication, AFSC data

• https://afsc.ca/wp-nfs/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Yield-Alberta-2019.pdf

• Crop Choice$

• https://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/softdown.nsf/main?openform&type=CropChoice$&page=information

1/29/2020

2

Why Rotate Crops?• Risk Management

• Improved yield potential

• reduced production risk

• Disease & Insect avoidance

• Varies the timing of field operations

• Access to other herbicide modes of action

• be aware of potential soil residual and

sprayer clean-out concerns

• Nutrient uptake & removal differences,

N Fixation options

• Improved soil health

Cover Crops ?

Barley?

Feed or Malt?

Hemp?

Quinoa?

HEAR?Lupins?

Perenial Forage?

Contracted?

Camelina

Faba beans?

Peas?

?Soybeans?

Alfalfa?

Mustard?

Alfalfa?

Borage?

Coriander?

Marketing?Corn?

Feed or Malt Barley?

Soy?

Flax?

Oats?

Canaryseed?

1/29/2020

3

CLIMATE

1/29/2020

4

CANOLARisk Area 7 (Red Deer)

4 Year Average Yield

(2015-2018)

50 bu

Risk Area 8 (Stettler)


(2015-2018)

45 bu

ALBERTA


(2015-2018)

42 bu

CANOLA

Gross Revenue

50 bu X $ 10 = $ 500

Estimated Variable Cost

$ 308.43

Crop contribution to Land

Ownership/Rent/Fixed

Costs/Profit

500.00

- 298.30

$191.57

1/29/2020

5

WHEATHRS Wheat

Risk Area 7 (Red Deer)


(2015-2018)

71 bu

HRS Wheat



(2015-2018)

60 bu

HRS Wheat

ALBERTA


(2015-2018)

53 bu

WHEAT

Gross Revenue

65 bu X $ 6.45 = $ 419.25


$ 257.50



Costs/Profit

419.25

- 257.50

$161.75

1/29/2020

6

CANOLA

WHEAT

BARLEY

W WHEAT

PEAS

LENTILS

FABA BEANS

SOYBEAN

FLAX

ALFALFA

OATS

Hemp?

Quinoa?

HEAR

Lupins?

Perrenial Forage?

Contracted?

Camelina?

Fababeans?

Peas?

?

Soybeans?

Hemp?

Alfalfa?

Coriander?

Corn?

Feed or Malt Barley?

BARLEYRisk Area 7 (Red Deer)


(2015-2018)

91 bu



(2015-2018)

79 bu

ALBERTA


(2015-2018)

70 bu

1/29/2020

7

BARLEY

Gross Revenue

81 bu X $ 5.33 = $431.73


$ 235.90



Costs/Profit

431.73

- 235.90

$195.83

BarleyMalt/Feed

Challenges

• High volume crop

• Lodging

• Acquiring malt

• Quality concerns

• Aiming for malt and obtaining feed

quality can impact profitability

• Green bridge for fusarium

1/29/2020

8

BarleyMalt/Feed

Opportunities

• Multiple market options

• Consistent performer

• Relatively inexpensive

• Malt – typical lower N

• Lower risk crop

• Increasing soil tilth and health

• After canola

• Growing market (Malt)

• Many new malting & feed varieties available

• Great break crop option between pulses and

oilseeds – broadleaf disease break

Winter Wheat

Gross Revenue

82.5 bu X $ 5.33 = $439.73


$ 219.95



Costs/Profit

439.73

- 219.95

$219.77

1/29/2020

9

Winter Wheat

Challenges

• Winter-kill risk

• Cereal disease green bridge

• Resistant variety selection

• Timeliness and planning necessary

around harvest/seeding

• Market capture

• Field/stubble selection

Winter WheatOpportunities

• Spreading out of spring/fall workload

• Earlier harvest can capture higher feed

market prices

• Wet spring advantage

• Fall/spring moisture capture

• Yield advantage

• Nitrogen risk management

• Reduced need for wild oat herbicide

• Resistance management tactic

• Reduced soil loss in conventional tillage system

• Reduced fungicide use

• Reduced FHB risk

• Reduce insecticide use

• Ecosystem services

1/29/2020

10

PEASRisk Area 7 (Red Deer)


(2015-2018)

57 bu



(2015-2018)

44 bu

ALBERTA


(2015-2018)

41 bu

PEAS

Gross Revenue

57 bu X $ 7.83 = $446.31


$230.75



Costs/Profit

446.31

- 230.75

$215.56

1/29/2020

11

PeasChallenges

• ‘My combines don’t eat rocks good’

• Aphanomyces – Oospores – Wet years

• Ascochyta/mycosphaerella Blight -

Scorecard

• Pea Leaf Weevil – Eat the nodules $ Seed

Treatment

• Bleaching of green peas,

• Immature yellows

• Fall flat (some years) – Rolling essential

• Earth-tag and splits – harvest tips and

tricks

PeasOpportunities

• Early seeding: -4°C is safe for

emerged seedling

• Very high N fixation – 15%-45%

yield increase on HRS

• Available N for subsequent crop –

high protein in wheat

• Early seeding, early harvest (mid

to late Aug.)

• Can be very profitable –

No Nitrogen bill

1/29/2020

12

Peas

Opportunities

• Diversified markets – yellows

move easily

• Keep your own seed a few

generations

• Low cost option with attribution

economics

• Improved soil health – Arbuscular

Mycorhizal Fungi

LENTIL

ALBERTA

2018 Average Yield

947 lb

AREA 9

2018 Average Yield

1232 lb

1/29/2020

13

LENTIL

Gross Revenue

1232 lb X $0.25 x = $308



Costs/Profit

308

- 230

$ 78.00


(PEAS) $ 230.00 est.

1232 lbs/ac from 2018

Risk Area 9 yield

LENTILS

Challenges

• Weed control – Lentils or Sow thistle?

• Reds (determinate) & Greens

(indeterminate)

• Aphanomyces – wet feet – field

selection nb.

• Grasshoppers – low economic

thresholds

• Ascochyta – Can be problematic

• White/Grey mould – August rains –

Green Bridge

1/29/2020

14

LENTILS

Challenges

• Volunteer spring wheat –

problematic

• Timing for desiccation – proper

staging

• Low to the ground – Flex headers

and rolling

LENTILSOpportunities

• Profitable pulse crop – 3M acres can’t

be wrong

• Early Harvest – relatively short season

• Low input costs – Seed cost - fertilizer

• Residual N – Durum and Malt Growers

• Very little residue - small seeded crops

(brassica)

• Pricing opport.- $0.13 – $0.45/lb

(>$25/bu)!

• Clearfield® group 2 tolerant – weed

control

1/29/2020

15

FABA BEANS

ALBERTA


(2015-2018)

40bu

Risk Area 7 (Red Deer)


(2015-2018)

41 bu

FABA BEANS

Gross Revenue

64 bu X $ 7.50 = $ 480



Costs/Profit

480

- 230

$250


(PEAS) $ 230.00 est.

1/29/2020

16

FABA BEANSChallenges

• Large(ish) seed size – Low tannin smaller

• High seeding rate TKW (4-5bu/acre)

• Challenge for some seeding units

• Indeterminate – Difficult to stage for

desiccation

• Lygus bug - Quality concerns for export

• Pea Leaf weevil – Can reduce yield

• Chocolate Spot – increased prevalence

in wet years

• Aborted flowers – ‘Failure beans’

FABA BEANS

Opportunities

• Greatest Nitrogen Fixing Pulse crop

(>60lbs N)

• Early seeding: -6°C doesn’t kill

• Stand in snow – Combine in November

• C:N ratio is high – Nitrogen boost in

subsequent crop year (year two)

• Stalks disintegrate – Residue not a

problem

• Aphanomyces do not impact Faba beans

1/29/2020

17

SOYBEANSOpportunities

• Established

Markets

• Marketing can be

simple

• Nitrogen fixing

• Harvest dry in

November (16%)

• Stand in Snow

• Easy to combine

• No Aphanomyces

• 0000 Genetics?

• Not enough

heat units

• Cool Nights

(<10C)

• Yield limits

• Warm Wet

August needed

• ~$100-

$120/acre seed

with TUA &

treatment

Challenges

FLAX


4 Yr Average Yield

(2015-2018)

31 bu

ALBERTA

4 Yr Average Yield

(2015-2018)

24 bu

1/29/2020

18

FLAX Gross Revenue

30 bu X $ 12 = $360


$ 191.95

Crop contribution to

Land


Costs/Profit

360

- 192

$164.45

FLAXChallenges

• How do I handle the straw

• Dealing with Volunteer Flax

• Seeding issues with flax residue

• Cleavers control

• Harvest efficiency – harvests last

• Drying flax is very tricky

• Desiccants may not work very well

• Boll loss through wind damage

• Delivery challenges

1/29/2020

19

FLAXOpportunities

• Disease break

• Inputs are lower

• Can be seeded late with little yield

variance

• Crop is fairly hail and weatherproof

• There is getting to be a market for flax

straw

• Modern equipment handles flax well

FLAXOpportunities

• New varieties with improved yield

make it very competitive with

canola

• Specialty market potential i.e.

omega 3 egg production

1/29/2020

20

ALFALFA

Gross Revenue

3.6 T X $181 = $651.60


$ 124.00



Costs/Profit

651.60

- 124.25

$ 527.60

Variable costs do not

accurately reflect non N

fertility use by crop each

year

ALFALFAChallenges

• Establishment challenges

• Establishment cost & initial revenue

• Depleted soil fertility possible

• Winterkill or standing water

• Dandelions

• Moles

• Marketing lower quality product

• Terminating the crop

1/29/2020

21

ALFALFAOpportunities

• Lower inputs after establishment year

• Resistant weed management

• Haying not combining

• Haylage

• Opportunity to market as standing hay

• Reduce hardpan

• Improved Soil Tilth

“Like what it does to soil”

OATSRisk Area 7 (Red Deer)


(2015-2018)

93 bu



(2015-2018)

74 bu

ALBERTA


(2015-2018)

81 bu

1/29/2020

22

OATS

Gross Revenue

133 bu X $ 2.98 = $396.34


$ 189.10



Costs/Profit

396.34

- 189.10

$207.24

OATSChallenges

• No Wild Oat Spray

• Field Selection a challenge

• Bulky high volume crop

• Often lots of straw

• Wind Shatter

• Marketing a challenge

1/29/2020

23

OATSOpportunities

• Reduced Input

• No Wild Oat Herbicide

• Reduced Fertility requirements

• Good disease breakcrop

• Likes cool, moist conditions

• Early maturity

• Improved soil tilth

“Don’t be a TWO Crop Pony”

• Know you have other options!

• Know your potential yield

• Be aware of the challenges and opportunities with each crop

• Know potential marketing risks

• Use your own numbers- access partial budget tools like CropChoice$

• MANAGE your crops through rotation before they manage you!

CANOLA $191.57*

WHEAT $161.75

BARLEY $195.83

W Wheat $219.77

PEAS $215.56

LENTIL $ 78.00

FABA $250.00

SOY

FLAX $164.45

ALFALFA $527.60

OATS $207.24

* All numbers are estimates and for discussion purposes only

Documents

Ag Update Crop Rotation Session Jan updated 2020 · 2020-03-04 · “Don’t be a TWO Crop Pony” • Know you have other options! • Know your potential yield • Be aware of