West Central Alberta Coldest, wettest edge | To clarify, this is clay soil, that packs when wet. Almost any spring tillage is detrimental, the wetter, the worse it is, the exception being plowing.
It isn't generally an issue, in year past with 2wd tractors, it wasn't an option. Usually too much frost by the time the snow flies anyways. This year, it snowed while the ground was still very warm, and it never froze, unless the cows were driving it down, or it was driven on. I couldn't get traction except when there was very little snow, and it was cold enough to be frozen on top, otherwise it was too slippery. It didn't plow beautifully, the little frost on top kept the furrow from rolling over tidily. Cultivating was easier in the snow. Discing doesn't happen when it is wet here anyways.
Field work in November would be the exception, not the rule here, but there have been quite a few long late falls lately when it worked fine. Then there was 2004 when in snowed and got cold at the beginning of October. Or 2002 when it snowed or rained all fall, and nothing got combined, good way to finish a record drought.
Regarding unharvested crop, still almost 1/3 of our Canola acres remaining, it just never got dry, and the green count took a long time to drop. Every acre of Canola we did get done was tough, and what is remaining, was much worse. Still planning to try and combine in in the snow, hasn't worked out yet. Any hints? When the snow was mostly gone, it was too warm, and it snows, then gets cold, and the swaths are buried. Looks like it might mostly melt again this week.
I've spent lots of hours behind a heat houser too, Cockshutt 1600 with a loader and blade moving snow or hauling bales. Without power steering, you got enough of a workout to stay warm. Never done field work without a cab, but I would think sitting still would be unbearable in the cold. |
Don't (moldboard) plow under snow? Anybody else heard this?
