Combines Questions for Ed in Montana

Hi Pengs, always good to hear from folks in Oz, been getting reports that rain has been falling with much more frequency there and you might have a decent crop this year. Hope that's true. Height of cut is mainly determined by where you have to be to get all the lower hanging heads on the tillers. I also like to take enough straw so there isn't a big residue problem next year. Nothing scientific though, just kind of a "seems about right" deal. I don't do any strip farming but there is still a good bit done once you get out of this valley a few miles. I do a wheat _ fallow rotation. My soils have good moisture holding properties so I can conserve enough moisture from the fallow year to add to what we get during the crop year - ends up using two year's rain to grow one crop. Cropping practices vary widely here. Some seed everything every year, some use chemical to keep their fallow clean, and some just use mechanical tillage like I do. Right around this area the crops are: Winter wheat, spring wheat, durum, barley, oats, canola, chick peas, field peas, and a few fields of sugar beets where irrigation water is available. Also starting to see some corn and soys. I just stick to spring wheat. Ed in Montana

I just wanted to say I really liked your pictures, nothing prettier than a Gleaner cutting a good field of wheat. Also wondered what kind of yeilds you get out there. If you need any extra moisture we could send you some from Missouri, we've had more than we need this summer, but I could use a little heat to finish these corn and soybeans.

Thanks, We certainly agree on the beauty of a Gleaner in a nice field of wheat. Yields here are nothing special. Average since '92 is somewhere around 40 bpa on summerfallow. This year looks to be some better, but some years are some worse too. We had lots of moisture and cool here this season too. All have been somewhat surprised by test weights though. lots of 58 to 60 pound wheat. One would expect big plump heavy wheat in the 63n and 64n range, but I guess it shows that you do need sunshine to make the grain, along with moisture and nutrients. Ed in Montana

Ed have you heard of any reports of the crops freezing up in the Plentywood, Scobey area. My uncle by Stanley had his wheat freeze. I can't imagine that the late crop in the north has been able to make it. I am just south of Williston, and we are just wrapping it up here. Nothing special, 15-25 b_a, 57-58 lbs, 15-16 protein. We are all continuous crop here and have been averaging 30-40 b_a the last several years. Take the good with the bad I guess. Just wondering

I haven't heard for sure, but I don't think the bad frost extended that far west. lots of late crops up that way, so hope they get another frost free month. Ed in Montana

I can't say re: Scobey_Plentywood, but can add that a huge area of Sask. and Man. got hit hard with frost early Aug. 20.