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Better Farming
January 2017
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31
DOUBLE
CROPPING
SOYBEANS
maturity goes hand-in-hand with
planting the soybeans in time, says
Eric Richter, a seed sales representa-
tive at Syngenta. Some growers have
to commit to combining the wheat
early to help ensure a successful
double soybean crop.
“The growers must consider
everything they can do to move the
wheat off as early as possible,” says
Richter. They may have to “harvest
(the wheat) a little wetter, and dry it.”
Wheat testing from 18 to 20 per
cent moisture can be harvested and
dried without damaging quality, he
says.
It is important to note that double
crop soybeans planted after wheat or
peas are not insurable with Agricorp,
says Stacey Edwards, the agency’s
communications consultant. Howev-
er, there are times when these beans
may be eligible for coverage after
harvesting a hay crop.
“Customers should call us so we
can help them understand their
options and how their coverage works
in these cases,” Edwards says.
Pushing the frontier
“In the past five years, the interest in
soybeans in Western Canada has just
exploded,” says Richter. “It has
allowed us to push the frontier farther
into Northern Ontario with short
season varieties.” There are now
varieties that are suitable for growth
in the short seasons of the Prairies as
well. Researchers continue to breed
varieties that can be grown farther
west and farther north than before.
These developments provide better
opportunities for farmers who want
to double crop beans in Ontario.
Double cropping “is not risk free;
(however, growers) now have man-
ageable risk,” says Richter. “I’ve always
encouraged growers to have a plan
– to be committed.”
“We have learned that variety
selection is absolutely critical in terms
of a success story,” says Bohner.
For Henry Denotter, a farmer in
Essex County, the early years of
double cropping soybeans included
using leftover, full-season seed.
Denotter has grown, with varied
Double crop soybeans should be planted into narrow rows and
in high populations to promote a thick, quick-closing canopy.
Eric Richter, Syngenta photo
MGS Farming photo