Seeding Canola

[blackjack]

When is it to late?

[Braveheart]

On our ranch we're looking at seeding until the crop insurance deadline for each crop. In our area the canola deadline (for Argentine) is June 20.

[Braveheart]

Sorry, my brain is washed out by the rain here this morning. Canola deadline is June 15. Flax deadline is June 20. We'll seed till those dates.

[charliep]

will add another question. If you aren't seeding canola, what crop will go in? If there a difference between a crop insurance coverage decision and one based on the crop that is likely to provide the best profit potential/lowest risk production decision? Would the decision be different if you didn't have crop insurance?

[charliep]

Will apologize for a dumb question. Also know there are many other management and agronomic issues that will impact this decision.

I can grow canola. My crop insurance yield is 37.5 bu/acre. At 80 % level, I have $330/acre coverage (30 bu/acre times $11/bu). Based on what I know today, likely to be in a claims situation. Could impact my coverage yields in subsequent years.

I can grow barley. My crop insurance yield is 60 bu/acre. At 80 % level, I have $177.60/acre coverage (48 bu/acre times $3.70/bu). Based on what I know today, I think there is a strong likelyhood I can produce this crop (i.e. not be in a claims situation). Based on the market, I think I can gross $280/acre (70 bu/acre yield times $4/bu). No impact on my coverage yields in upcoming years.

Likely the assumptions are foolish but just curious on approach/how you would think it through to make a decision. That may start with whether you can find feed barley seed.

[blackjack]

Thanks braveheart and Charlie.Since I am mainly cow-calf backgrounder just weighing the odds.Love to have the canola as a cash crop and rotation purposes...but growing barley on this particular land would be 3 years in arow which would bring in disease issues.Lot less risk growing the barley if it doesn't make since I could make silage.

[Braveheart]

Blackjack, we have cattle as well and have considered barley for the reasons you mentioned. Our problem here is fusarium has made growing barley a high risk crop. For silage it's ok because the volume makes the DON levels lower than if just seed is the crop. For malt or feed barley it's hard to keep those DON levels acceptable. We could use the silage but it looks like a huge hay crop coming on if we get the weather to harvest that.

[sumdumguy]

Canola is being seeded by air around here, with
this slow rain, should get a good establishment.

[groundspeed]

I would take a chance seeding canola to the tenth of June as long as it is an earlier variety. Done that before and it usually is ok.