Manitoba Agriculture Crop Report

 

Southwest Region
 

A good week of harvest weather across the Southwest Region was slowed with some rainfall on the weekend. Light showers and amounts of 5 to 20 mm were reported. Southern areas of the region reported higher amounts.

 

Planting of winter cereals into good soil conditions have started. Hard red wheat harvest is 70% complete with producers reporting average yields. Quality is reduced due to fusarium head blight and weathering from recent rains. Barley harvest is close to complete and yields are average and quality has been impacted by fusarium head blight. To date, vomitoxin levels are reported between 1 to 4 ppm. Oat harvest is nearing completion; yields are above average with good quality.

 

Canola harvest has started and reports so far are average to slightly below average yields. Disease has played a major role in yield reduction. Pea harvest is complete with average to slightly below average yields with some quality issues. Disease and weather playing a role in downgrading of field peas. Flax fields continue to dry down with little evidence of any significant disease issues.

 

Soybean growth and maturity continue to advance with maturities at R6.5 (seed fill to capacity) to R7 (pod and leaf yellowing) stage of development. Sunflowers are in the R6 to R7 stage. Corn silage harvest has begun.

 

Pasture growth is starting to slow with most producers reporting no major issues. Feed situation and supply looks to be good. Dugouts are 80% full.

 

Northwest Region
 

Warm temperatures along with ideal drying weather throughout the week allowed for good progress on harvest operations in the Northwest Region. Scattered showers with approximately 10 mm of rain occurred in various parts of the region over Monday night and brought harvest to a temporary halt. Soil moisture conditions are generally adequate throughout the region with some fields in Dauphin and The Pas area challenged by wet soil moisture conditions. With the exception of crops in those areas impacted by too much moisture, most field crops throughout the region continue to mature and are in relatively good to excellent condition.

 

Crops are advancing with the spring wheat crops 85 to 90% mature and harvest operations well underway throughout the region. Roughly 75% of the red spring wheat crop is harvested in the Swan River area, 30% in Roblin and 60% in The Pas. Yields are variable ranging from 55 to 70 bu/acre. The majority of the barley is standing with the exception of the Roblin area where approximately 30% of the barley acres are combined. Approximately 50% of the oats in the Swan Valley and Roblin areas are swathed with 10 to 30% combined.

 

Canola continues to develop; most canola in the region is mature with about 15% combined in the Swan Valley, 90% swathed in the Roblin area and 75% swathed in The Pas area. Field pea harvest operations are generally complete. For those areas of the region with soybeans, 95% of the acres are at the R8, (brown pod) stage. Excellent growth and yield potential being noted in corn silage fields. Harvest will be two to three weeks away with corn currently at the soft dough to early dent stage.

 

Some post-harvest fieldwork has taken place, dependant on time and weather conditions.

 

Feed harvesting continues with some second cut alfalfa put up as silage last week. As well, cereal straw is baled and hauled back to yards. Current wet weather will slow chopping of remaining late seeded cereals. Producers are still struggling to harvest native hay due to wet conditions. Feed tests results are variable, ranging from very poor feed value with high mould counts to above average quality. Pasture growth is slowing down but still good for this time of year.

 

Central Region
 

Seasonal temperatures through the week helped with maturing crops and harvest progress in the Central Region. Windy conditions for the three days prior to Saturday night’s rain aided in excellent harvest conditions. Unsettled weather continues; all areas received showers that interfered with harvest. Rainfall amounts were variable; a slow moving system dumped large amounts of rain in areas of the south and southeast. Amounts reported include Mowbray/Kaleida 40 to 50 mm, Morden 50 to 65 mm, Altona 70 to 75 mm, Emerson 40 to 50 mm, and Letellier/St. Joseph/Arnaud 65 to 100 mm. Field access continues to be an issue, particularly on dirt roads, and field activity has been limited by poor conditions. Tracks are still being made by swathers and combines, and equipment is getting stuck in the wettest fields. Trucks are being parked on the road, as producers make use of grain carts in an effort to reduce ruts. Field activity will be limited for a significant period of time in areas of highest rainfall.

 

The majority of the cereal crops are harvested. Hard red spring wheat yields range from 30 to 75 bu/acre, to date, and CNHR varieties have yields up to 90 bu/acre. Protein is variable, with early reports of 12.5 to 15%. The impact of fusarium head blight is reported as variable, with fusarium damaged kernel levels ranging from 0.4 to 4.2%. Barley yields are in the 70 to 100 bu/acre range; some has been selected for malt, but reports of higher fusarium head blight levels in many fields are a concern. Oat harvest continues, with yields also impacted by excess moisture. Yields range from 80 bu/acre to as much as 140 to 175 bu/acre. Bushel weight is average to below average.

 

Swathing and harvest of canola continues. More canola is being straight cut than in previous years. Canola yields range from 10 to over 50 bu/acre, with an average to date in the 30 to 35 bu/acre range. Flax is being harvested, with initial reports in the low 30 bu/acre range.

 

Corn is growing rapidly with most fields at R5 stage. A rapid change in maturity is seen in soybeans. Fields range from R6 to R8, with significant leaf colour change, and some leaf drop. Harvest may start in the next couple of weeks for the earliest maturing fields. Undercutting and windrowing continues in the most advanced edible beans; some fields have been harvested, but no yield reports to date. Sunflowers are flowering, and as advanced as the R8 stage and turning colour.

 

Winter cereal seeding is starting; conditions are very good with warm soils and decent topsoil moisture for an early establishment.

 

Straw is being baled and removed from cereal fields. Fall cultivation has begun.

 

Most second cut hay is complete, as is first cut wild hay. Yield is surpassing much of the first cut in both quantity and quality. High humidity is an issue for drying of swaths. Many producers are wrapping bales. Greenfeed and cereals are being cut for silage, with good results. Forage growth on pastures is slowing, but growth and supply is generally adequate, dependent on stocking rates. Livestock water supply is adequate.

 

Eastern Region
 

Last week in the Eastern Region saw normal to warm temperatures with very limited rainfall at the start of the week; good harvest progress was made in wheat and canola. Fields continued to dry as the week went on. Producers have mostly focused on finishing cereals and making progress in canola; some producers have been switching back between the two crops depending on what is driest to combine. Tillage is widespread where ever time and field conditions allow. Winter wheat seeding is on-going.

 

Field operations were halted on the weekend with rainfall of 25 to 100 mm throughout the eastern part of the province. With the excess moisture, field operations are not expected to resume until the later part of this week provided no further rainfall events occur. For areas where producers were already making ruts before the rain, standing water is evident and field access will continue to be an issue.

 

Yield reports across the Eastern Region differ greatly. Some fields in the more northern parts of the region experienced moisture stress throughout the season. Yields in these stressed areas are lower.

 

Remaining spring cereals are mature and ready to combine. Harvesting of spring wheat is about 90% complete. Yields range from 50 to 75 bu/acre with an average yield of 60 bu/acre. Quality was good with much of the crop being graded as #2. Fusarium head blight levels have been lower than expected. Protein levels have varied.

 

Canola harvest is underway with yield estimates in the 25 to 45 bu/acre range with a 30 bu/acre average. Swathed canola fields are awaiting harvest while the remaining standing fields are scheduled for straight cutting. Canola harvest is estimated at 60% complete. The soybean crop is at the late R6 with leaf drop to early to mid R7 with brown pods evident. Sunflowers are in the R7 to early R8 growth stages. Corn is at R5 (dent) stage.

 

Across the Eastern Region, the majority of pastureland is rated in good condition. Availability of livestock water is adequate. Livestock producers were able to continue harvest operations due to more favourable weather. Livestock have plenty of grass to graze. Winter feed supplies are rated as 20% surplus and 80% adequate for hay and 100% adequate for straw, greenfeed and feed grain.

 

 

Last week the Interlake Region experienced a heavy rainfall on Monday ranging from 5 to 30 mm of precipitation. Warm temperatures and strong winds helped dry field conditions and crops allowing producers to continue harvesting later during the week.

 

Winter wheat harvest is complete in the Interlake Region. Currently, producers are harvesting spring cereals and canola. Reports of spring wheat yields range from 50 to 60 bu/acre with a wide range of protein levels from 12 to 14.5%. Oat and barley harvest is nearly complete with yields ranging from 90 to 130 bu/acre for oats and 60 to 80 bu/acre for barley. Canola harvest is in full swing and yields range from 25 to 55 bu/acre with an average of 35 to 40 bu/acre. Several fields of canola are still standing waiting to be straight cut. Later seeded canola fields continue to be pre-harvested or swathed. Very few acres of peas remain out in the fields, not harvested due to wet field conditions. Yields range from 30 to 40 bu/acre. Flax continues to reach maturity as producers start pre-harvesting or swathing fields. Alfalfa seed fields will be desiccated or swathed this week as crops reach maturity. Soybeans have started to drop leaves as the crops are starting to wrap up filling pods and reach maturity. Corn is in the dough to dent stages, and sunflowers are finishing flowering and in the seed filling stages.

 

Haying has been stalled by rainfall this past week, as well as high humidity and soft, saturated ground. Forage fields have adequate to surplus levels of soil moisture. Second and third growth of alfalfa is good and some second and third cuts have been taken.  Some native and grass hay is too wet to travel on as the low lying areas are wet. Well managed pastures are in good conditions with some flooding due to excessive recent rainfall events. There is adequate water for livestock consumption.