The Manitoba cereal harvest is progressing rapidly, pushing the overall harvest in the province to more than 20% complete.
According to the latest weekly provincial crop report on Tuesday, 21% of the Manitoba crop was already in the bin, well ahead of the four-year average of 14% for the third week of August. The spring wheat harvest was nearing 40% complete, the report said, with barley and oats slightly more advanced.
The Interlake region harvest was 37% done, followed by the Central (33%), and Eastern (27%) regions. The Southwest region sits at 14% done, while the Northwest is at 8%.
Crop conditions in the province were pegged at 44% good to excellent, down a single point from a week earlier. Cooler conditions helped some crops recover slightly at the beginning of the week, but soil moisture from last week’s rain was immediately used up during the extreme heat over the weekend and into Monday, the report said.
Canola crops (rated just 35% good to excellent across the province, are facing some of the poorest growing conditions in the past decade or more, the report said, noting farmers are expecting average yields to drop to 10-year lows due to continued environmental and insect stresses.
Southwest:
This past week saw daytime highs reach 38°C; daily averages around 17 to 19°C. Minimum overnight temperatures were down to 0.5 to 7°C. Not much rain during the week, Humidity levels remain high overnight. Most of the Southwest region experienced heavy smoke for the last two days. All areas are short on moisture, particularly the northern parts of the region. Total rainfall accumulations to date are 60 to 90% of normal arriving in a few thundershower events and the majority of crops missed moisture during critical development stages. Daytime wilting is evident in longer season crops; some do not recover overnight. Topsoil moisture is minimal.
Harvest is estimated at as much as 5% complete. Early yield reports of 55 to 65 bu/ac winter wheat and 65 to 75 bu/ac hybrid fall rye.
All cereals have rapidly advanced, with the heat and drier conditions; premature ripening is evident in the driest areas. Harvest is well underway, with early barley yields at 50 to 90 bu/acre. Spring wheat is yielding 40 to 60 bu/acre, while oats are coming in at 60 to 80 bu/acre. Good quality and test weight are reported in much of the harvested cereals. Swathing continues, but a majority of fields will be straight cut. Most fields are short, and the smaller volume of swaths makes combining a challenge. Late tillering is a concern in some oats and wheat; either swathing or pre-harvest may be necessary for these fields. Some will let the crop stand, possible with the extended dry conditions.
Pea harvesting continues, and pea yields are reported in the 35 to 45 bu/ac range. Flax fields are showing colour change. Swathing has started in some canola; the majority will be straight cut this year. In the driest areas, pod fill at the top portion of the plants is poor. Later seeded and re-seeded canola is podded out.
Crop yields are variable and highly dependent on where the rains fell. Crop on heavier textured fields have more moisture available to them and has dried out on sandy ridges, evident in cereals, canola, and soybeans. Most crops are stagey and shorter than normal. Short cereal fields have the problem of not enough straw for an adequate swath; some may have to switch to straight cut.
Northwest:
Generally cooler temperatures throughout the week across the region with overnight temperatures dipping below 5°C early Friday morning. Inglis reached down to 0.7 for a short period. The weekend brought back extremely high temperatures with Swan River reaching 36°C. Overnight temperatures are cooling resulting in heavy morning dew. The southeastern portion of the region received precipitation with Alonsa receiving 46 mm, while the rest of the region received minimal precipitation. High temperatures this season, along with lack of precipitation have advanced crops quickly as they head to maturity. The lack of precipitation remains apparent and a large concern as water sources and soil moisture continue to be depleted.
Harvest in field peas continues full swing in the Swan River region while the rest of the region is completed. 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 is underway, with desiccation ongoing as staging is reached. Early wheat yields range from 40 to 60 bu/ac. About 60% of the spring wheat is rated as good. In The Pas, spring wheat is in the hard dough stage and some early crops have begun desiccation. Some barley and oats have been harvested. No reports of yield as of yet. Winter cereals are harvested and early yield reports are at 40 to 60 bu/acre.
Canola is variable in staging and condition. Most of the canola is podded and ripening. Some of the earliest canola has begun swathing/desiccation.
Central:
Rain and cooler temperatures beginning this week quickly shifted to well above normal temperatures into the record-breaking range over the weekend. Mid-week daytime high temperatures dipped as low as below 20°Cbut ramped up to a high of 37°C on the weekend to Monday. Last week’s rain was rapidly absorbed by the dry soils and benefitted late maturing crops most. Humidity and haze was reduced at first but increased along with the warming temperatures making physical work uncomfortable. Dews continue to be light to none on warmest nights allowing for long harvesting days. Winds were generally moderate this week with changing direction driving temperature changes.
Soil moisture improved from the recent rains but remains poor where rainfall was least to good in areas with most rainfall. Harvest operations resumed mid-week and continued through the weekend with the warm sunny conditions. Forecast for the next seven days for is warm and dry to start turning to many consecutive days of rain shower activity.
Harvest of fall rye and winter wheat is considered complete. Yield reports for rye is in the 60 to 80 bu/ac range with good grain quality reported. Wheat, oats and barley are coming off rapidly with many fields drying 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 60 to 70% done. Yields vary widely according to soil type and moisture conditions. Yields range from 20 to 70 bu/ac, averaging in the mid 40’s. Higher protein levels in the 14 to 16% range are common, and low to no fusarium damaged kernels (FDK) in the samples.
Barley harvest is also underway with about 85% done and yield reports from 50 to 100 bu/ac but averaging in the middle of that range. Whatever straw is available is being baled quickly with lots of trucks on the road moving bales. Oat harvest continues at 75% done and yields vary widely from 40 to 140 bu/acre depending on soil type and moisture conditions. Most cereal fields are ripe and good progress is expected in the coming days before the forecasted rain.
Field peas harvest is considered done. Yields are reported from 20 to 65 bu/acre.
Eastern:
Even though there was a rainfall at the start of last week, soil conditions remain dry to very dry. Ongoing impacts from drought conditions continue. Recent rainfall will help preserve yield potential in late season crops, particularly soybeans and sunflower with corn benefitting less.
Calls about two spotted spider mites in soybeans continued but rainfall at the start of last week did slow down the pest’s progress. Most infestations were limited to small areas of field edges with most of the crop well into R6 (full pod stage). High numbers of grasshoppers present in fields were noted by many agronomists but an accompanying high level of crops damage was not being found with the focus being particularly on long season crops that are still seed filling. Concern about late season flea beetle infestations by themselves or in combination with other pests like lygus bugs continued with some insecticide applications still occurring.
Winter cereal harvest made good progress with many producers completed. Winter wheat yield reports varied from 50 to 80 bu/ac 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 with an estimated 50% of acres harvested. All of the crop harvest ready or just about. Grain drying continues in cases where it allows progress. Yield reports ranged from 45 to 70 bu/acre with reports indicated good quality and bushel weights. Spring wheat yields better than expected given the drought overall.
Oats yields still disappointing overall but some better yield reports came in this week. Yield reports ranged from 50 to 100 bu/acre with 70 bu/acre and light bushel weights common. Oats harvest progress amongst producers ranged from about 50% done to complete. Some 40lb bushel weights now showing up after lots of 37lb samples.
Interlake:
Spring cereal harvest is getting close to complete, with many areas over 70% done. Yields are below average for all crops. Wheat yields range from 20 to 60 bu/acre, averaging in the low between 30 to 35 bu/acre. Many crops have fewer spikelets than normal, and kernel size is smaller.
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.
Cereal straw is in high demand, and all straw is being dropped and baled behind combines and harvest progresses.
Canola crops are being desiccated where necessary, many are saving input costs where possible and will direct harvest beginning later this week. Reseeded fields are still somewhat green and will be ready later in the month.
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