The Manitoba harvest is ahead of normal progress, but has been slowed by recent heavy rains.
According to the latest weekly provincial crop report released on Tuesday, 30% of the Manitoba crop was in the bin, slightly ahead of the four-year average of 26% for the fourth week of August.
Large areas of Manitoba received over 25% of normal growing season precipitation in a single week, the weekly report said; however, it was too late for cereals, canola, and flax.
Some soybean, potato, corn and sunflower crops could still benefit from additional seed fill/weight gain.
Most farmers in Central, Eastern, and Interlake regions will resume field harvest operations by the weekend although it may take until early next week to resume operations in the Southwest and Northwest regions.
Repeated rains will contribute to quality downgrading in much of the unharvested cereal crops left in Manitoba, added the government.
Southwest:
Thunderstorms and widespread rain events the past seven days over much of the Southwest region brought significant moisture, between 60 to 117 mm rain. These rains will not have much impact on crop yields, but some potato, corn, sunflower and a few soybean crops will still benefit, and recharge soil water reserves.
Harvest is estimated at 22% complete. Peas range from 80 to 85% complete, cereals 30 to 40% complete. Canola swathing has been started, no harvest reports yet.
Yields are highly variable, but much is coming in at average to slightly below average. Harvest is stalled in most of the region due to wet weather conditions. Two to three sunny days will be required for topsoils to dry enough to support machine traffic.
Harvest of cereal crops has begun throughout the Southwest with barley being the majority of the crop harvested. About 70% of the barley has been harvested and yields are reported to be average with good quality. Recent rains will cause downgrading effects on the remaining barley crop quality. Oats harvest 50% complete.
Spring wheat harvest progressing well with about 35 to 40% of the crop harvested with yields reported to be average with good quality, recent rains will reduce quality, increase lodging in some fields.
Canola is at early seed colour change (SCC) to swath stage (60% SCC), nothing harvested yet and nothing ready for at least a week. Below average yield expected. More fields are swathed than normal, and a few are desiccated.
The soybean crop is in R6 to R7 stage. Recent rains will help in grain size and quality. Corncobs are starting to swell. Recent large rains are favoring crop weight gain; however, cool weather overnight has slowed maturity a little. Flax fields are now at the ripening and dry-down stage. There are no major disease issues, and the flax disease survey has wrapped up.
Northwest:
Precipitation setting in mid-week slowed harvest progress down for most of the region. While temperatures started out high beginning of the week, cooler and wet weather set in for the remainder.
Field Pea harvest is approximately 95% complete. Yields have been lower and range from 35 to 40 bu/ac for most of the region and of average quality so far.
Spring wheat harvest slowly continued across the region, including a start in The Pas. Yields so far across and within the region have been very variable. Average yields for the region have been 40-60 bu/ac with better fields averaging 70-80 bu/ac. Yields in The Pas averaged 80 bu/ac. Harvest progress across the region is approximately 35 to 40% complete.
Canola continues in variable staging and condition. Most of the canola is podded and ripening. Desiccation and swathing is underway as stages are reached and conditions have allowed. About 50% of the canola is rated as good, while the remainder would be fair/poor.
Flax bolls are filled and crop continues to ripen. Soybeans across the region are in the R5 to R6 staging, with the southern part of the region being more advanced. Approximately 60% of the soybean crop is rated as good condition.
Central:
Warm and hazy conditions that started the week quickly fell to below normal temperatures as winds shifted to northerly direction and a rain shower system crossed the region bringing welcome moisture to all parts of the region.
With improved soil moisture, winter cereal planting could begin as soon as crops are harvested on fields suitable for planting.
Wheat, oats and barley came off rapidly with many fields dried down without harvest management products applied. Spring wheat harvest is most advanced in the Red River Valley but still progressing west of the escarpment with 90 to 95% done overall. Barley harvest is wrapping up with about 95% done.
Oat harvest is also advanced with about 90% done. Oat yields vary widely from 40 to 140 bushels per acre depending on soil type and moisture conditions. Test weight reported as reasonably good, in the upper 30 lbs/bu mark.
As with other crops, corn growth varies with moisture conditions. Better growing and developed cornfields are in the milk stage and filling. Recent precipitation should benefit corn crops but yield potential has already been affected by the prolonged dry conditions. Many fields in the Red River Valley in particular show evidence of severe moisture deficit and varying plant height across fields.
Canola fields harvest has begun with the earliest planted and advanced fields. Many fields are being swathed while others are left to stand for direct harvest having pod shatter resistance and/or short stature. Early reported yields range from 15 to 50 bu/ac in the southcentral part of the region. Yield expectations vary greatly as some fields will be near normal having good growth while others very short, thin and poor pod development.
Flax fields are turning rapidly to already ripe with harvest expected to start soon. Soybeans are in the full seed stage (R6 to R7) with some fields starting to dry off in more stressed parts of fields. Recent precipitation is benefitting this late-maturing crop while still in the seed filling stage.
Eastern:
At the start of the last week, it was hot and dry and above seasonal for temperatures just as it had been for months. Temperatures dropped to below seasonal as rain moved into the region. The majority of the rainfall fell last Friday as thunderstorms, heavy rain and showers.
Winter wheat and fall rye harvest is completed. Winter wheat yield reports varied from 50 to 80 bu/acre on whole field basis with light soil areas doing as low as 30 bu/acre. Good seed quality and test weight were noted. Fall rye yields were highly variable in fields in correlation with soil types. Yields ranging from 50 to 90 bu/ac across fields with whole fields averaging out in that 70 to 80 bu/ac range.
Spring wheat harvest continued this past week with good progress made before the rain with an estimated 85% of acres harvested. Yield reports ranged from 45 to 70 bu/ac with reports indicated good quality and bushel weights. Wheat proteins ranging from 10.5 to just over 14%. Producers reporting that many buyers have implemented protein discounts.
Oat yields are still disappointing overall, yield reports ranged from 50 to 100 bu/ac with 70 bu/ac averages with light bushel weights. Oats harvest progress estimated at 85% complete. Some 40lb bushel weights now showing up after lots of early 37lb samples.
Limited canola harvest has begun, estimated at 10% complete for the region. A significant amount of preharvest desiccation occurring prior to rain delays. Canola is ripening and drying down fast. A few early seeded fields have been harvested, some of those were swathed.
Soybeans are now at R6 (full pod) with some fields of very early varieties having plants in R7 (at least one brown pod on plant). Signs of wilting dry down have gone away. Soybeans are starting to exhibit leaf yellowing. Very early season varieties are starting to show some yellow and the occasional brown pod. Soybean maturity seems to be moving along more normally in northern districts as opposed to drier areas where maturity, particularly amongst very short-to-very short season varieties is proceeding at a rapid pace. With the rain this past week, producers are watching the final pods plants initiated to see if they will survive and fill.
Corn drought stress symptoms have disappeared. Producers are hopeful that the rain will help in the grain filling process. However, expectations for corn crop are for below average yields.
Interlake:
Intense rainfall over the northern Interlake this past week brought amounts up to 95 mm at Moosehorn, and a low of 47 mm at Selkirk. High amounts of rainfall moved the percentage season accumulation of rainfall from 54 to 80% of normal at Eriksdale, in one instance, an increase of 26% of normal growing season rainfall in one week. This was very similar for many other locations in the Interlake.
Rainfall has generally been too late for any grain crops, excepting some soybeans and corn, which may help increase pod fill and tonnage.
Harvest operations are expected to resume in many areas by the weekend, pending a favourable forecast.
Spring cereal harvest sits at just over 75% complete, with many areas over 90% done. Yields are below average for all crops. Wheat yields range from 20 to 60 bu/acre, averaging between 35 to 40 bu/acre. Quality of grain harvested prior to the preceding weeks rain was graded #1 milling quality. It is expected that much of the unharvested crop to date will be feed quality.
Oats are typically yielding 50 to 80 bu/ac in the south Interlake area; most oats is lightweight. Many oat
crops were already cut and baled off for greenfeed. Barley has been yielding between 20 to 80 bu/ac, averaging mid-40’s.
The earliest canola crops are yielding between 5 to 25 bu/ac, averaging between 10 to 15 bu/acre.
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