Why the Big push to soy in Sask. You need a August rain!

[SASKFARMER3]

Growers who want to extend their pulse rotations but do not want to reduce the amount of nitrogen fixed in their soil by a legume should evaluate soybeans as a cropping option.

Disease pressure in the prairie pulse crops has waned over the past two growing seasons under drier conditions, but pea and lentil growers will not soon forget how devastating aphanomyces was to the region’s 2014 and 2016 crops.

Soybeans generally do well under the same moisture conditions that allow pulse diseases to thrive, so in wet years the crop may be a viable option.

In dry years, however, soybean does not perform well compared to peas and lentils.

“Certainly it’s been recognized that in these last couple dry seasons, 2017 and 2018, the soybeans don’t particularly like the terminal drought in the summer,” said Jeff Schoenau, a soil fertility professor in the University of Saskatchewan’s soil science department.

I just find it funny how much money Grain Companies spent setting up Mega seed treating facilities and how Soy has been pushed on Sask.

We grew back in the beginning and yes varieties have come a long way it's still a crop that I don't believe is ready for Sask. Yes the short season varieties have a place and they were not created for Sask but the second crop after winter wheat in Kentucky etc. Harvest your winter wheat by June 20th and then seed soy right after and these new varieties will make it. Because they have a wet fall.

We will not be seeding again in 2019 soy as its like Trudeau still not ready for our area. It never leaves the ground with Nitrogen like Peas and Lentils and you have to fertilize to get the big yield.

Now Manitoba I think it has a place.

What are others thinking about Soy?

[SASKFARMER3]

If your going for malt barley and are growing soy. One needs no rain in August and one needs a good soaker. Ah what to grow.

[jimmy]

I have grown a RR1 variaty for about 7 years and the last two years proves it needs a August rain a 30 bpa crop turns into a10 bpa fairly quick. It is quite resistant to root diesease some what like chickpeas.

[SASKFARMER3]

Don't get me wrong I loved growing the crop. Its fun and enjoyable right up till harvest then if you get an August rain you dance if you miss you shit your pants.

[Oliver88]

I have grown a RR1 variaty for about 7 years and the last two years proves it needs a August rain a 30 bpa crop turns into a10 bpa fairly quick. It is quite resistant to root diesease some what like chickpeas.

RR1 looks like the best thing to do in Saskatchewan unless you enjoy losing $.

Seed companies as usual got too greedy and have made RR2 soybeans too risky at $90-130 per acre for seed.

[jazz]

Don't get me wrong I loved growing the crop. Its fun and enjoyable right up till harvest then if you get an August rain you dance if you miss you shit your pants.

Around here, if you get that kind of august rain, your header will be down in the muck for the lentils. If you don't, your soybeans will be shrivelled stalks.

About 5 yrs ago a neighbor tried a few acres. In August he got a flooding rain on the field. I mean these little soy trees sticking out of an inch of water sitting on the land. They loved it.

Next neighbor who tried it didn't get a rain and ended up with a 10bpa harvest in November.

[farmaholic]

I would love to grow these but I haven't seen many local successes.

I think they would be a dream to harvest and would spread out your harvest if that is what you were looking for. Peas in August to soybeans in October. Also kinda weather proof at harvest.

Are the buyers still questioning the protien levels and not turning a blind eye to green seeds?

I don't think they are a fool proof crop here, between typical late season(August) dryness (perfect malt barley and pea harvesting weather) and early frost potentials that could shave off the top third of yeild, I am not completely convinced. So if it isn't fool proof maybe this fool needs to watch from the sidelines a bit longer. Not that any crop is 100% fool proof but some crops lend themselves to certsin areas better than others. I think we can grow quite a variety of crops here but maybe "not quite ready Trudeau soybeans".

[ajl]

Have yet to hear of a success with soy in this area in central AB. Last year the fields short on rain produced 15-20 but the fields that had adequate moisture produced 30bu of wet, immature beans due to the smokeout in August and the snowstorms in September. Yet seed companies are offering more than 30 different varieties of soy for western Canada. They are going to need seed taxes to make their investment back on that.

[bgmb]

You are right to a point. We have had really good soy yields in our area up until this year when subsoil was getting low towards the end of the growing season. Fields that lucked out and had an thunderstorm inch in august still did upper 30s where we missed late rains yields were 5-10 bu lower. Soy does need moisture later in the year but not maybe a soaker. Another thing soy really hates is cool some areas just can't seem to get yields maybe shorter season varieties will be better.

[Sheepwheat]

Years and years of soy attempts around here. I simply do not know why they keep trying. And we get those August rains consistently. Season is too short, too cold. Soil is too cold, or do you till everything and seed in June when the soil temp is high enough?

They are a complete dud for here. They need to come a longggggg way.

[mustardman]

The Last few years when “Growing Soybeans” was the topic at Regional Pulse meeting in SOUTH WEST SASK for ****sake- I got up and went out for a Coffee-

Rule of Thumb -If you are in a Lentil or Chickpea area YOU are NOT in a soybean area

If you are growing decent soybeans ,then you’ve got some pretty Crappy lentil grades

[blackpowder]

They would have to push the maturity on beans to match canola, and then the yield as well.
Can't argue with nature. Since the ice age it has driven the native plant species it supports, right up to the current values it drives and everything in between.
So, growth patterns wrong, margin wrong... a long way off for here.

[bucket]

The Last few years when “Growing Soybeans” was the topic at Regional Pulse meeting in SOUTH WEST SASK for ****sake- I got up and went out for a Coffee-

Rule of Thumb -If you are in a Lentil or Chickpea area YOU are NOT in a soybean area

If you are growing decent soybeans ,then you’ve got some pretty Crappy lentil grades

Yup in 2016 I grew 40 acres of soybeans ...really got me excited 35 bpa....lentils were a 2/3 grade but still worth 30 cents....

2017 was too dry and so was 2018.....but I had some fields do OK....Its just another crop in the rotation that allows to extend it as required....Canola is just too expensive for my liking....what was the WP saying the other day 20 bucks per acre profit.....might as well go pump gas...

[MBgrower]

Get the right amount of rain here and 50-55 bpa, last year 5" rain from april to august = 25 bpa. but generally we are usually on the wetter side, to the point where canola suffers, and beans thrive. beans are the winner here for profitability.

[Jay-mo]

Get the right amount of rain here and 50-55 bpa, last year 5" rain from april to august = 25 bpa. but generally we are usually on the wetter side, to the point where canola suffers, and beans thrive. beans are the winner here for profitability.

I keep hearing guys say how much beans love it wet. Well 2016 was the last wet year and the beans turned yellow, shriveled up and did 20. Canola right beside it yielded in the 40's.
Last year, yep 5 inches of rain, beans went 25 and canola was double or more.
I really want soys to work but they're not helping their cause.