Whats the storey with Rye

**FarmRanger** · Jan 14, 2008, 17:23

The variety I've grown is Gazelle, an old variety, but I'm not sure if there are any newer spring rye varieties available. Grows about 6 feet tall and is not the nicest stuff to harvest. 2007 yields of spring rye were half that of fall rye on my farm.
Last stuff I sold was was just before Christmas for 6.50/bushel. ka-ching

**parsley** · Jan 14, 2008, 17:24

Tall
Wraps
Straw straw straw
ergot

**melvill** · Jan 14, 2008, 17:53

Talked to someone in the know and he/she suggested the following about rye:

"All I've seen lately on Rye is that key-market, German acreage, went up 11% last fall.

At $7 per bushel right now, graincos are probably just dumping the rye into their CWRS shipments up to the max tolerance and pocketing the difference."

**freewheat** · Jan 14, 2008, 22:09

I have some fall rye in for the first time this year. It was seeded on second year summerfallow, (too wet), chemfallow last year, till fallow this year. 7 bucks must be a record price. What kind of yields are you guys getting on fall rye which is treated well? A neighbor got 60 in the fall, but sold for 3.50, mostly. My seed, Hazlet, was bought for 6 bucks...
I also want to know if there is a new crop price. I hear that spring rye is a poor choice compared to fall rye as well. I put 6 bucks of seed and 10 bucks of starter in the ground so far. Whether I need N remains to be seen. I plan to spray with mcpa in spring. If these prices hold, WOW.

**bluefargo** · Jan 14, 2008, 23:00

I worked in S. Sask. for a number of years and gained a great respect for rye as a crop. It is very versatile : can be grazed, harvested and /or hayed depending on the need. Great for controlling soil erosion.
There were farmers, who farmed sandy land, who were very properous and grew almost nothing but rye. They always seemed to have granaries full of the stuff. They seemed to be able to hang on to it till it spiked which it did with some regularity in those days.
It really is suited to light land. Yields can be twice that of spring crops with less than half the cost. Some messed around with spring rye but lost a lot of the advantage of the winter rye. ie better use of winter and spring moisture, more competetive with weeds etc.
Fall rye is just plain very competative in its own right.

Rye prices have been in the doldrums for many years. Also a lack of price discovery is a problem. Maybe like other crops it's time has come.

**bluefargo** · Jan 14, 2008, 23:01

I worked in S. Sask. for a number of years and gained a great respect for rye as a crop. It is very versatile : can be grazed, harvested and /or hayed depending on the need. Great for controlling soil erosion.
There were farmers, who farmed sandy land, who were very properous and grew almost nothing but rye. They always seemed to have granaries full of the stuff. They seemed to be able to hang on to it till it spiked which it did with some regularity in those days.
It really is suited to light land. Yields can be twice that of spring crops with less than half the cost. Some messed around with spring rye but lost a lot of the advantage of the winter rye. ie better use of winter and spring moisture, more competetive with weeds etc.
Fall rye is just plain very competative in its own right.

Rye prices have been in the doldrums for many years. Also a lack of price discovery is a problem. Maybe like other crops it's time has come.

**just_wondering** · Jan 15, 2008, 09:14

Sept 07 we put in quite a chunk of CDC Hazlet semi dwarf rye. and have grown common rye of unknown lineage for years on lighter sand piles we have. Average yields of probably 40bu. with almost no love. our program was about 40lbs of 12-51 seed placed and a little express in the spring.
This year we added 60lbs of 46-0-0 hoping to get yields with the old variety straw was the usual outcome.
the fellow we bought the seed from said that with the semi dwarfs he was straight cutting.
With the spreading out of the seasons(seeding and harvest),the ability to grow where nothing else will, and the freedom to cash flow to suit needs.
Rye might finally have its day.
Is stats can the only source of info for Canadian rye?

**melvill** · Jan 15, 2008, 11:38

No argument about winter rye's ability to grow on light land and to help with weed control.

My observation is that as rye acres shrink and shrink, it becomes more and more of a "special crop". That means that there is less and less market info and analysis about it and less and less price transparency. Marketing it becomes more and more about establishing long term relationships with buyers like distillers or milling-quality exporters.

Whats the storey with Rye