National Post (National Edition)
At growing season’s starting gate
The fields are bare. The machinery has been serviced. And the farming community waits, poised, ready to fall in line behind the first mover. As if we’re all nervous to start. As if there’s an air of uncertainty or apprehension surrounding it all. To be the first on the field is to be the one confident enough to declare the 2017 growing season has begun.
From the time that brave farmer drives his or her tractor and seeder down the road to when the season closes, there will be breakdowns, scrapes, potential pest and/or disease pressure, unforeseen weather events, policy hurdles and many more challenges. All at once, it’s daunting. Dayby-day, it’s less so.
When that time comes, something changes. For the first time since last fall, I will put on my work jeans, loop my belt through my Leatherman case, put on a cap, grab a water jug and walk outside, where I will stay for most of the day.
I’ll climb the ladder to the Versatile 750, settle in, and start it up. I’m sure it will still smell the same as it did when we parked it: like farming; like workshop; like oil; like nostalgia.
I’ll drive the machine past the threshold of the shop, exposing the first tractor of the season to daylight.
The drive to the seeder isn’t long — follow the road north of our house then a few hundred metres west past the grain bins. It will spend a few days in front our workshop before it’s ready for the field. Maintenance and calibration are critical.
We solid-seed (as opposed to using a row-crop planter) our soybeans on seven-and-a-half-inch rows at a rate of about 150,000 seeds per acre. Every farmer will have a different number, and every farmer will have a different justification for it.
Once the plants emerge from the soil, agronomists will determine plant population — one technique involves tossing a hula hoop onto the field then counting the plants inside its perimeter.
Each crop has its window. Each crop variety requires a certain amount of growing days to mature and ripen, a consideration farmers make based on their region and climate. In my area of Manitoba — the Pembina Valley — we are able to grow later season varieties as we receive more heat units than other regions of the province.
The difference between a mid to late season variety is a matter of days.
I bought soybean seed based on the rate in which I intend to plant. Soybean seed is not inexpensive, so these calculations are important.
And it’s similarly important that the seeder is calibrated to match that rate. It’s not unheard of for seed companies to run out of product.
Depth and soil temperature are also important considerations during planting season. Wheat seeded in cool soil will lay dormant until conditions become favourable for germination. Other crops aren’t so hardy and patient.
In dry conditions, farmers will often plant a little deeper than they otherwise might, hoping to place the seed in moisture for germination.
In moist conditions, farmers are less worried about germination and are able to follow the recommended depths for that crop. Seed depth varies greatly from year to year and from soil type to soil type.
Every farm out there is unique. My farm is unique. Some operations apply fertilizer with their seed. Some apply it before. Others apply fertilizer the fall before.
We will cultivate our land before seeding, ensuring our land is tilled, stubble-free and smooth. A good seedbed to start the season is critical.
It will help with emergence and harvest.
It’s a restless time of year. But there’s still no rush. At this point, our steps can be slow and methodical. The marathon is happening but I’m not sure when it will start.
At the time of this writing, our seeder still sits where we left it last spring: under a yellow tarp, and in a state of disrepair. But this will all change shortly.
Earlier today, I saw a John Deere tractor and seeder drive by my house. It could be a red herring. It could have been someone driving home from the dealership. But I doubt that. It’s nearly time.
The 2017 growing season will begin any day now.