Fall rye an alternative for unseeded acres

Kemp said once those acres dry up over the summer months and farmers can get onto them in the late August, early September period, they can seed fall rye.

“Through FP, we have both hybrid options as well as premium rye options. With the hybrid option, we have SU Performer, which is one of the most consistent hybrids on the market. It has really good yield potential, great harvestability on that variety, and is still going to be able to push those yields that you see with a hybrid,” Kemp said. “New this year is SU Bebop. This is the first premium rye to hit the market, which gives us that yield gap between a conventional rye and a hybrid rye. It came in with phenomenal yield results, good winter hardiness and looks phenomenal. This will be the first year it launches across Western Canada.”

Kemp said fall rye is one of those crops where you seed it, then harvest it, and that’s about it.

“We like guys to maybe do a burn-off prior to seeding and get that crop in early, before Sept. 15. With a hybrid you’re going to be seeding at one unit an acre. An open premium rye…you’re going to seed at 1.4 units per acre,” she said. “You get that crop established and you just leave it. There are properties in rye that help secrete hormones that prevent any weeds from coming into play. Generally, you can just leave that stand right through to harvest without any disruption.”

Kemp said rye has a decent feed value so it’s also a good option for a mixed cattle and grain operation.

“Generally, if you can get that rye established early in the fall and we’ve seen guys that got a couple weeks of grazing in the spring or did that early spring calving field and then let that field come back and they’re able to take it either to harvest or as a forage crop,” she added.

Kemp said for producers who choose to grow the crop for seed there are some marketing options once the rye is in the bin.

“Most of it goes into that export market, whether that be blending it in as a feed wheat or just as a discounted to red spring wheat in the elevator system. There’s also ethanol. I believe the ethanol plants both in Lloydminster and Belle Plain have bids out right now on fall rye, which opens up those market opportunities.”

Kemp added rye has been sent to the United States. The FP Genetics TruCover program is a closed-loop commercialization system designed to allow Canadian farmers to sell their harvested hybrid fall rye into the lucrative U.S. cover crop seed market.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

by Alice McFarlane

Fall rye an alternative for unseeded acres

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