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February 19, 2025 - Winter Cereals

Improving crop performance in cold-climate agriculture.

When winter arrives, recently harvested fields are exposed to the elements. Without the help of plants to stabilize and protect the soil, precipitation takes any excess nutrients from growing the previous crop and breaks it down into water sources. The nitrogen that was key to growing hearty and healthy crops ends up in water supplies and can have wide reaching effects on the environment. 

Winter crops have a slight advantage over spring crops as they can extend the growing season due to our Canadian conditions. It has been found that this longer period of growth can lead to higher yields in cereal crops due to the lack of competition like reduced weed presence and less soil erosion. 

Often, winter crops are referred to as “cover crops” due to their ability to protect and cover the exposed soil in our harsh conditions. This helps reduce the leftover nitrates in crop leachate by 30 per cent. Cover crops allow producers to work on and improve next year’s crop by improving the health of the soil, reducing erosion, providing future weed control and conserving soil moisture. It is important to plan ahead, especially with our unpredictable weather conditions. 

Understanding what type of crop you’re planning to seed is key. Knowing the crop type will give you a time frame of when to seed and when to harvest. Winter cereals can be seeded into early harvested crops like canola or silage. Canola is a popular stubble crop for winter wheat as it has great weed sanitation and adequate stubble to trap snow for insulation. 

Optimum seeding time is crucial for your winter crop. Depending on the crop selection, there is variation as to when you should seed. Winter cereals such as wheat, triticale, or fall rye are similar in seeding time, varying only a few weeks. Winter Triticale is becoming more popular with producers as it is quick to establish, producing a large biomass that can be used as quality feed for your herd over the next season. 

While a winter crop sounds like a wise investment, it does come with its potential disadvantages. As most producers know, weather is unpredictable – mother nature calls the shots, making it incredibly hard to prepare. Winter crops typically need to be established in the fall, when it can be too dry, and producers are busy. 

The second obstacle in winter crop establishment is the physical winter conditions. Air temperature, snow cover and planting date are critical factors that will determine the success of the crop. To beat the feat of managing winter crops during the winter, seed timing is essential. 

All three of these obstacles go hand in hand. Planting these winter cereals in the fall after harvest ensures they have time to establish before the air temperature plumets. While snow cover can be a challenge for winter crops, it is also vital for the survival and viability of the crop as the snow acts as protection and insulation against the cold, dry winds that can cause dehydration. 

The idea of planting a winter cereal may be daunting to some. Many rely on the positive outcomes it brings for their spring crops and feeding their herds. Producers all over Alberta are always interested in strengthening their production line with new technology and gadgets, but the answer may be as simple as utilizing winter cereals. When planned and managed correctly, a winter crop could be an asset to improving profit, herd health and soil health for many producers. 

A key part of any producer’s operation, specifically when changes are implemented, is effective planning and time management. If winter cereals are in your future production, there’s no time like the present to initiate that plan.