Overnight temperatures in parts of Manitoba dropped into the single digits last week, according to the latest weekly crop report on Tuesday.
In the Northwest Region, a mix of temperatures and precipitation saw daytime temps reaching nearly 30 degrees C and overnight lows dipping down well below 10 C. In fact, a very cool -1.6 degrees C was reported at the Swan Valley station for a very brief period, the report said. Although the cool temperatures have raised some concern among farmers, they have also favoured canola flowering and seed development, it added.
Meanwhile, some locations need rain, especially on well drained, sandy soils.
In terms of crop development, spring cereal crop flowering is complete, and kernel development is reaching soft to hard dough in most locations. The spring wheat crop is rated mostly good to excellent, with some exceptions due to extreme moisture. Barley crops range from milky to soft dough stages, with malt crops most advanced, and greenfeed or very late-seeded fields further behind. Oat crops are reaching hard dough in the most advanced fields.
Canola crops are variable across Manitoba, with some in excellent condition and others in poor condition with thin stands. Flowering ranges from mid-bloom to fully podded. Early crops have podded up well, with limited heat blast and flower abortion this year, and producers are watching crop development closely. Flax crops are nearly done flowering, boll development looks good, and disease issues are limited.
Most field peas have finished flowering and are filling pods. Earlier seeded fields are turning colour, but there have been no reports of desiccation to date. Excess rainfall has led to root rot in poorly drained fields or areas of fields. Yellow areas are evident in low spots and drains.
Soybeans have closed rows and have reached the R4 to R5 stages. Crop development has moved very quickly, almost at ‘normal’ for the time of year.
Southwest:
Cooler days and dry weather arrived this week, favouring an extended canola flowering period. No damaging winds or hail caused crop injury in the region in the past seven days, and a band from Hamiota to Carberry saw rains up to 15 mm. A few locations are in need of rain, where crops on well drained, sandy soils are showing minor water deficiency symptoms and have remained dry for the past several weeks. Pivot irrigation is ongoing in potatoes and some other crops where infrastructure allows.
Northwest:
A mix of temperatures and precipitation this week with daytime temps reaching nearly 30°C and overnight lows dipping down well below 10°C; a cool -1.6°C was reported at the Swan Valley station for a very brief period. Winds were persistently strong for several days last week. Minimal precipitation fell in most of the region, with the exception of Birch River (18mm) and The Pas (35.5 mm). Precipitation would benefit some areas of the region. Previously lodged wheat and barley have recovered somewhat, but many areas remain quite flat. Silage corn fields are beginning to tassel and silaging will start soon. Greenfeed cutting has begun.
Central:
Temperatures have cooled to seasonal normal, with overnight lows dropping to single-digits which has concerned some farmers. However, cool nights have favoured canola flowering and seed development and crops appear in good condition throughout most of the region. Lodged cereals have recovered somewhat, with cereals bouncing back better than lodged canola. Approximately 10% of first-cut hay was not baled due to repeated rains and wet weather.
Eastern:
Rainfall accumulations ranged from trace amounts to around 20 mm. Areas that had rainfall received the majority of it last Tuesday as a series of storms, as unsettled weather came to an end. The remainder of the week was relatively dry, except for the occasional isolated rain shower or thunderstorm. Temperatures were highly variable with both above and below seasonal daytime highs. The past weekend saw particularly cool conditions during the overnight periods, with high humidity. With the relative lack of rain, field access generally improved.
Interlake:
Fall rye swathing has started this week, while canola staging ranges from 50% bloom to podding. Grasshopper spraying on cereal field headlands is occurring where pressure justifies application. Haying continues with good yields, however recent rains have lowered the quality of the hay. Crops appear in good condition in southern parts of the region, where they haven’t drowned out. Northern parts of the region have highly variable crops and crop condition.
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