[Fergy]

So all of my crops are up and starting off nicely (Canola, Wheat, Barley, and Oats). I am a big advocate of seeding using TKW regardless of how many bu/ac it turns out to be which usually means I'm seeding much heavier than my neighbours. Over the past 3 years we have been increasing seeding rates and have had good success. The increase in seeding rate is due to targeting 26-32 plants/ft3 in cereals an 8-9 plants/ft3 in canola.
This biggest factor seems to be what you use for percent survival. I typically use 75%-85% depending on seed source and germ results. All that being said I always have more plants than I thought so my percent survival is always higher.

Seeding rate (lbs/ac) =
10 x (desired pants/ft3) x TKW
% survival
What does everyone else use for target plants/ft3 in cereals? in canola?
Do you link the plant count to head count at all?
TIA

 

[dwh039]

Target 30 on cereals and 9-10 on canola. After last night and saturday frost, plus beetle pressure, canola plant count has gone from 9 to 5. Some of my canola I had to seed at over 6 lbs due to seed size this year. Also found out trying to jam through 62 lb barley seed @ 3.3 bushel per acre will not work on single shoot drill.

 

[redgreen]

25 plants/sq ft in durum. Canaryseed is closer to 30.
Canola 10-15. Glad we were in the upper end of that as frost has thinned it out a bit in the low spots.

 

[crw]

Also found out trying to jam through 62 lb barley seed @ 3.3 bushel per acre will not work on single shoot drill.

Well it will work if you slow down. Lol. At least when I seed peas, if I slow down a bit everything goes good. If I get in a hurry, I see it all year long.

 

[amishdonkeys]

Cereals 35-38 plants /sq ft. Canola 10 plants / sq ft

 

[jodman]

I found this study extremely helpful in distinguishing target plant densities between different cereals as well as helping determine a planting order for crops on my farm.

Optimum Seeding Date and Rates for Irrigated Grain and Oilseed Crops

 

[Dwf1990]

I can't say I personally have a lot of experience farming myself, I have upped the wheat from 2.5 bushel/acre to 3 bushel/acre and had good results, this is on irrigation though. Wheat stood very good and nice heads.

Tried canola at 7 pounds and it came in nice and thick but got a bit of sclerotina (sp?). I feel it does just as well or better seeding 3-5 pds lol.

Never thought of counting plants though so I'm not sure how helpful my findings are.

 

[cat man]

39/sq/ft on wheat that is planted early and tillers moderately. Up to 53/sq/ft on wheat that does not tiller well planted late. I base all seeding rates based on planting dates and final head count prior to harvest the year before. I shoot for 72 good heads sq/ft. All wheat varieties will perform different. Some are bred for a more intensive management program to tiller less and give you more main heads. I usually have a 10% mortality rate with a bourgault 5710 hoe drill direct seeding. I have seen seeding mortality with bourgault 3710 disk drill up to 35%. And yes use TKW.

 

[X80]

Cat man where u located? What seeding rate gets u that population? It's pretty high..

Ant...

 

[Fixx]

last yr we had around 38sq/ft in wheat and although it seemed really thick our crops turned out ausome. this yr we backed down a bit to try and get 30 sq/ft . my observations this yr are that it is not as good ....time will tell. have it in my mind to go back to 35/sqft. the old guys say it will stool but why not plant the extra stools and make things even . our agronomy girl keeps telling us to seed heavy but its hard to get the old boy to change...... i remember seeding wheat at 1.25 bushels but now with no till you got to seed upwards of 2.5.

 

[Highmarker]

Dad used to seed 1.5 bu per acre now we seed 30 plants per sq foot. Our yields are better now. Varieties are better and we are putting down more fertilizer. The main benefit of raising the seeding rate has been more consistent stand and earlier maturity because we arnt waiting for all those late tillers to mature at harvest time.

Last year I tried bumping the seeding rate and n rates with and without fungicide and found that the higher n rate with fungicide was the best yield and the seeding rate didn't make any difference. That was with 132 lb/ac vs 154 lb/ac. This year we seeded 121 lb/ ac should be the same plant population as 132 was last year due to the diffence in the 1000 kernel weight of the seed.

 

[Highmarker]

Also last year with all that moisture I noticed that there were average 2 heads per plant in our 12" spacing which is what we wanted. With all the moisture we had last summer I don't think we will see any benefit from bumping up the seeding rate.

Canola we just stick with 5 lbs per acre. Seems to work out most If the time .

 

[cat man]

X80. In North Dakota. Lately we have had no lack of moisture. Seems to get us a more even crop with high fertility.

 

[jesseb99]

Been a lot of talk about wheat any thoughts on oats?

 

[bussard]

Turned up the seeding rate to 120 lbs on spring wheat this year or 38/sf and can't believe all the leaf disease compared to lighter rates... Don't see the economics with two shots of fungaside needed

 

[Fergy]

My Oats were 43 grams for TKW and I seeded them at 125lbs/ac
- Plant counts the other day showed between 38 and 48 plants/ft2
- This is a bit more plants than I targeted but should be ok with less tillering
My SWS wheat was 51 grams for TKW and I seeded them at 132lbs/ac
- Plant counts the other day showed 43-51 plants/ft2
- Again this is a bit more plants than I was targeting but should be ok with less tillering

Both the Oats and SWS Wheat were in the 2-3 leaf stage when I did the counts.

 

[Don Boles]

My Oats were 43 grams for TKW and I seeded them at 125lbs/ac
- Plant counts the other day showed between 38 and 48 plants/ft2
- This is a bit more plants than I targeted but should be ok with less tillering
My SWS wheat was 51 grams for TKW and I seeded them at 132lbs/ac
- Plant counts the other day showed 43-51 plants/ft2

You sure?
Show your seeding rate math for those examples please.

Sounds like a teacher I had.

 

[Fergy]

hahaha Don i think you got me here......
I have been trying to make this work out but there is no way I can have that many plants with 125 lbs/ac (even using 100% survival which does not happen). I need to do another plant count again to double check. I didn't do the math backwards before posting it on here (foot in mouth), I just went through all my notes with the numbers. I did think it was too high as well. I'll count again and let you know what I get.
****, never had that happen before.

 

[farmerjon]

I push the seeding rates pretty good in CPS Wheat. Seeded 174 lb/ac this year and plant counts are 38-43 plants/sq ft. or per 14.4" of row on 10" spacing with a paired row opener. I too believe it matures evener and earlier at a heavier rate. I think there is some merit to the idea that a plant that has to tiller a bunch uses up a lot of nutrients to grow the straw for the extra heads that are often mediocre. We are in a pretty good growing area that is not moisture limited which enables us to push the rates a little harder as well. I usually seed barley at 105-120 lbs.

 

[Dryland]

I'm in a moisture-limited area (Palliser triangle). In this area there is some guys who target much lower plant populations in cereals than many of the posters here. I am not sure the reasons why -- but maybe moisture availability and lower incidence of disease and tillers make up for lack of plants???

Any views on plant population versus spacing? Would 7.5" spacing be able to better handle higher population than 10" spacing in moisture limited situation and as such get a higher yield?