Small Grains News & Updates

September Small Grains News

Happy Friday,

Hope you're all staying safe with our abnormally wet weather and that harvest is starting up nicely. Even though it's a busy time of year, take some time to plan out and plant your winter small grains with care. Calibrating your drill and frequent checks as you're planting to make sure you're placing seed at the correct depth will result in higher yields and better weed control next year!

We have cost share funds available again for small grains harvested in 2019 and followed by a legume cover crop. Find instructions on how to sign up here.

Good Luck Harvesting!

Alisha

Request Cost Share Acres for 2019 Today

With a new award from the NRCS’s Conservation Innovation Grant, PFI will be able to offer cost share on small grains harvested in 2019 and a following cover crop that includes legume species. For details on the cost share eligibility and program requirements refer to this flyer.

In order to be first in line to claim your cost share, you can start requesting acres now via this link. The survey will ask for your contact info, the number of acres and small grain you plan to plant and the legal land descriptions for the field(s). Contracts will be issued on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Request Cost Share Acres

Blog Online from September Call on Iowa Seed Law

Robin Pruisner from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Doan Schmitz from Iowa Crop Improvement Association presented on our September 7th shared learning call on Iowa’s laws regarding seed production for farmers interested in selling cover crop seed. They covered seed labeling, permitting and certification requirements that are required to sell seed in Iowa. The recap blog contains a summary of the information shared on the call.

Read the Blog

From the Archives: Planting Winter Small Grains

Last October, Paul Mugge and Dick Sloan discussed their playbook for planting high yielding winter triticale, rye and barley on our October shared learning call. Here are some key take-aways to keep in mind as you are planting this fall:

Dick - " Pay attention to whether the combine is catching residue and dropping it off the back – these clumps of residue can prevent seed from reaching the soil and result in an uneven stand of rye (or any other small grain)."

Paul - "I plant about 100-110 pound/acre of triticale. In my triticale seeding rate trial in 2016 I found no significant difference between an 85 lb/acre and a 135 lb/acre seeding rate, so I'm going with a lower seeding rate to maximize my return on investment."

Read the Blog

EVENTS

No small grains shared learning call in October due to harvest

- Next call will be November 2

IN THE FIELD

Marketing

If you don't already have a market lined up for your grain, here are some resources on identifying a market that lines up with the grain quality you've achieved with your crop:

The 2018 Small Grains Directory lists small grains buyers for seed and grain by location
The recap blog from our grain and seed markets call in early 2017
Grain Miller's markets presentation from the 2016 small grains short course
The recap blog from our March 2018 call on marketing to breweries and distilleries
The rotationally raised short on markets for small grains
Learn about your crop insurance options to protect your bottom line.

And don't forget about straw!

The blog recap from our straw marketing call in 2017

Winter Small Grain Variety Selection

Still unsure which small grain is right for you? Here are some resources:

The variety selection episode of our rotationally raised video series.
The blog from January 2017's shared learning call with seed dealer Mac Ehrhardt.
Jochum Weirsma’s presentation on Winter Rye Variety Selection in Iowa from the 2017 Small Grains Conference or this blog from his presentation at the 2017 PFI Annual Conference
Joel Ransom’s presentation on Winter Wheat Variety Selection from the 2017 Small Grains Conference

Rotationally Raised - What to Plant, Where and Why

Planting Winter Small Grains

Though it's a busy time of the year in October, don't forget to plan for a precise plant population, calibrate your drill and prepare your seed bed for establishing a good stand of your winter small grain.