Well the Rain Gods have not been seen this year at all. Funny it tried the last week but its always the same shit spits hard you think its finally arrived then by the time you think that its over. Mother nature is a cruel bitch and this year she is really pissed. Funny how a area i farm in can go from one of the wettest the last 15 years to not getting more than 2 inches since seeding started.
But for us and hopefully all the Thursday or Friday system moving in is the last chance for most farms to salvage something or something big for 2017. This is the make of break rain system. We have cracks in the ground that if you dropped the iPhone you would be going home for a shovel to get it back. Like i said the next two days are critical. Salvage something or gone fishing.
We drove north yesterday to AG In Motion. Wow is their shit or just starting to go backwards or WTF happened in that field. Lots Canola finished blooming or shut down. Looks not bad at 135KM but stop and walk in, Lots are going to be very sad with the out come.
Lentils are loving this shit which is why in the 1980s we grew them and grew them well. Lots of fields all way north have white spots starting or already far advanced. Regina isn't so shit hot either.
Every single guy at the show you talked to said we need rain and need it now. No one said things are above average doing great better than last year. Lots deer in headlights that it was so dry.
Good expanded show, some times you just need to get away, even if its for a day to appreciate whats going on in your neighbour hood.
Bruce Burnett Called the crops variable that he saw. I would say that is true but thats not in a feel good way. Canola production will be down the most, Wheat will be down, Lentil yields will save a lot. Durum should be fuz free and peas some look real nice others are desiccating very soon or already done.
Here we go.
HRS is now finished heading and flowering and some did Prosario others went with doing nothing. To the north and West of us a few did spray for midge and added Prosario. But most didn't. We did find a half that had leaf disease that would of hurt the crop very very bad. Not sure why because we have wheat for three miles and it was the centre mile HRS. Cracks in ground but almost every single field you spray is end to end all excess water is going or gone. Burrow pit dropping every day with watering yard garden and spraying 1700 gal at a time.
Canola some sprayed some did the new test and didn't. Test showed less than the 10% so Why the F$%K would you spray. Canola is different than wheat, Short thick canopy of leaves touching each other and damp under their. Dew every night and no splashing of rain from ground up to hurt Canola. Later seeded and rain might have some issues if we actually get a rain.
Lots of the early seeded has finished flowering or just shutting down. Nice stand but nothing that will make you go WOW WTF look at how this is running post pictures yea we did it. So far it will be down on to a average crop for our area but given the no rain events by next week it will be a lot worse if the system misses us. If it hits the later has potential to go ballistic and hit real good numbers. If it doesn't it will probably be worse than early seeded. So who knows right now. Lots of pod blast you can see.
Peas are in final shut down stage and most have finished flowering and filling the pods. Some sprayed some didn't not sure but seeding peas a week earlier would have been a good decision. I choose to seed later due to drill problems and letting ground dry out from early snow. Some times you hit it right some times you don't even show up for the game.
Flax full bloom and not looking bad. Some sprayed and some just went fishing.
Lentils seen double seed set per pod on most all way north to Saskatoon. To the West of us lots and most sprayed one or two times. South the same across the valley. Lentils like hot and dry and its a good year for them. Shorter than most years but those who have will smile.
Soy the new crop that i have seen all over Sask. from North to south to east to west. Soy had issues all spring and without a strong start some times the crop can not recover. Even if conditions are awesome after that. But the big thing with soy is it loves the heat but needs a really really good drink when your peas or Malt barley is ready to Harvest. If the pattern continues most will be disappointed.
Corn wasn't knee high by the fourth of July but where it has moisture or irrigation its going very good. Some fields still look awful but others are gaining.
Oats is ok but not like other years, needs a drink.
Barley came out of the boot and that was a relief. It looks good smaller heads than last few years now the big question will it fill or light shit and lots of protein so no malt. Ah the game of spin and win or spin and loose.
Pastures are dropping fast and hay harvest is ok but not like last few years. Some who fertilized before the last rains in June did very well.
So the crop maybe we will call Trudeau wheat Lots of nice head shots and selfies but nothing inside the brain. He can give millions away every single day (plus look at my socks) and yet can't go see a real Canadian problem in BC with the forest fire situation. Just saying the hug a thug missed a opportunity to look good. And he could of got a selfie with the forest fire in background.
So another week has gone and passed were still hanging in, poor land is not doing good. Good land is hanging on, Non rain event the last week and Big Big yield potential has left the building. Thursday and Friday if the rain comes its Lotto Max if it doesn't its still something to harvest but by next thursday with the head coming back a huge drop will happen. Were now at a average at best and that number is dropping each day. Others share their area situation please from the good to the bad to the ugly. Western canada is a big area but water is still needed in Moderation once a month to hit the home run.
Have a great week take a drive get away from the farm and well i know its tough to not check your phone and animate the storms on Environment canada. Looking at the sky and wondering WTF is out their or coming. Some on one knee praying, Some doing the Rain dance others just giving up and calling it a year. Its just a crop that the markets will talk up right till they run out of product or import from another country to avoid giving farmers some real return. Its a awful game but really Sask Production will be down big time from past years. Report out.
Gone fishing.
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