erald Finster aims for a seeding rate that
will produce about 22 plants per square foot on fields
he’s seeding to Xena feed barley on his Peace River
region farm.
Working with an Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
(AARD) seeding rate calculator, he seeds barley at 2.5 bushels
per acre (with Xena that’s about 119.5 pounds of seed per acre)
to achieve that 22 plants per square foot stand.
“Over the years, we’ve found that to be the optimal seeding
rate for our farm,” said Finster, who, along with wife Esther and
three sons, Kyle, Kevin and Josh, crops about 10,000 acres
near Valleyview in the southern Peace River region. While
he has seed batches tested for germination, he follows the
bushel measure when it comes to seeding. It is based on the
recommended 1,000-kernel weight formula. Barley samples
of his bin-run seed weigh out at 43 per 1,000 kernels. The
germination rate of seed batches is usually about 95 per cent
and he estimates a 20 per cent seed mortality.
While seeding rates vary depending on soil zones, type of
barley and growing region, as well as seed weight and quality,
Finster is still within recommended AARD guidelines.
“We have nice, heavy seed and aim for that 2.5 bushel per
acre seeding rate,” he said. “Over the years, we have found
those rates are putting the target number of seeds in the
ground and producing a good stand of barley.”
Finster follows a similar approach with wheat—targeting 25
Spring
2015
Grains
West
32
Keep seeding rates up, and seed early
by LEE HART • Photos by gerald finster and John o’donovan
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