interesting... oats

**freewheat** · Oct 17, 2014, 19:04

Tis interesting. I always marvel at what we do and do not know, and how different conditions play a role in results.

Makes one wonder.

**furrowtickler** · Oct 17, 2014, 19:51

Not much to wounder about , we are one of the only "developed" ag areas that does not top dress. We have been programmed to pound the fert down at seeding and the requires an enormous investment in iron and tech with the push now on VR to help distribute that huge one time investment before we even see the crop.
We have seen similar results in wheat and actualy canola bus weights with top dressing - but we in western canada have been brain washed into full fert at seeding with extreemly expensive seeding outfits . One of the only places in the world .
Funny thig is , we go to several (10-12) different farms each year with a weigh wagon for trials - canola and now wheat , but the seeding outfit and high rates of fert at seeding time have very little coralation to the highest yields and or test weights. One thing stands out though every time - good managers of time and resources always generate the highest yields regardless of farm size or type of equipment . Case in point - the highest canola yield has come from a guy with a 20 yr old Bourgault 8800 single shoot . This year he was still top 3 . And yes he is now top dressing

**freewheat** · Oct 17, 2014, 21:04

I think you missed my wonderment. I have been topdressing for 20 years. My point is that none of this is being tested in western Canadian research to my knowledge. We have also always been told too much n on oats causes low test weights. I have never seen this to be the case. Ever.

The same goes for early seeding. 9 times out of ten where I come from, barring a hideous frost, late seeded crops outperform early.

Things work differently every year, on every farm. A one size fits all kind of thing is simply not accurate.

I wonder about a lot of things...

**seabass** · Oct 17, 2014, 21:14

I'd have to call bullshit on late seeded crop out yielding early. Maybe only on your farm but by the sound of your posts your always seeding late so u don't have much to compare to.

**BreadWinner** · Oct 17, 2014, 21:16

Folicur worked wonders on our oats crop this year, Sprayed at flag leaf. Sprayed crops 45 lb bus weight and yielding over 110, crops not sprayed yielding 80 with less than 40 lb/bus. we use 60 lbs N and no topdress.

**freewheat** · Oct 17, 2014, 21:49

Seabass, you may think what you wish. My point is, we are not all struggling for, and hoping for a rain, and we do not all get July "heat" which is the theory behind lower yields for later seeded.

Yes, the last decade, seeding in Early May has not happened much, but this is my 22nd crop, so I have seen a lot of stuff happen. No one goes out to intentionally seed late because it yields more, myself included, but around here, early seeded crops suffer from cold, wet soil. crops seeded later have warm soil, and emerge twice as fast...

**SASKFARMER3** · Oct 18, 2014, 05:51

Freewheat yes in East Sask the later seeded Canola and Oats and Barley and HRS 9 out of 10 years yield insane vs the early seeded. You are correct. It doesn't sit their in cold damp ground. its up and going and catches up to the early seeded.

**Braveheart** · Oct 18, 2014, 06:41

We were always leery about seeding oats too early. Thought they were "soft" and could be hurt by a spring frost.

Also, it used to help get wild oats started, seed then do a burn off just before the oats emerged. Made for cleaner oats.

Oats was one of the crops that really shone in Pesticide Free Production.

**Braveheart** · Oct 18, 2014, 06:59

What product does everyone use for top dress? We kinda lost interest in it once 34-0-0 became unavailable. Are you going with 46-0-0 or UAN?

interesting... oats