CRP - Bringing CRP back into wheat production

Here is what the conversation would look like if we were blogging and adding comment to the blog....and if you all signed up as followers of the blog you can choose to be notified when someone has posted to the blog...how about we try it on this topic as there is a lot of help that we can offer each other, and this way to don't have to open 8 emails to follow the conversation:

Just my thought on it..

Greetings,

 Had two calls today from growers wanting to take out CRP, one to fall plant wheat in 2010 and the other to spring plant. Neither have yet touched their CRP. We discussed this at our Pendleton meeting, but don’t know that we came to any conclusions. Apparently the insurance people are telling them that for their first year crop to be covered they need to follow the advice of an “expert.” So fellow  experts, what ‘s your best advice?

Sandy

Hi Sandy,

This is an interesting development.  In Gilliam County, an additional 5000 acres of cropland were bid into CRP.  I learned yesterday that all land bid into the program was accepted.  The rental rates were as high as $60 per acre.

USDA has rules regarding taking land out of CRP, although I'm not sure how prescriptive it is other than timelines.

Jordan

Sandy et al.  My best advice, at the present time, is to eliminate or minimize tillage unless there is a significant amount of sheep fescue in the stand.  If sheep fescue is present in significant quantities (you be the judge), then some kind of undercutting operation will be necessary to sever the roots of sheep fescue and minimize (probably not eliminate) the presence of this plant (and possibly intermediate wheatgrass) in the subsequent wheat crop.  Clear as mud? Based only on my limited experience here.  Good luck. 

Larry

If you cut it off won't your drill be a rake when you plant through it?
Brian

Larry and all,

What type of chems are you using to reduce the amount of tillage? You mentioned 75 ounces of Round up wasn’t doing it but that Maverick may have some stoppage power on sheep fescue. How about Beyond? Or would a guy  be nuts to spend that much on a new crop establishment?

Sandy

I am still hopeful that high rates of glyphosate, applied at the correct time (or times) would take care of the sheep fescue.  Just don’t  have any research (or first-hand experience) to back this up. 

One of the farmers I know used a combination of glyphosate applications (well before seeding time) and tillage to prepare his seedbed.

This same farmer applied Maverick herbicide in the fall (after seeding and according to label directions) on very limited acreage—because there were isolated spots of cheatgrass in his old CRP stand.   His observation was that this “added treatment” seemed to reduce sheep fescue contamination of his stand of wheat.

Larry