Early Seeding Favours Higher Yields, But Does Not Guarantee Them

There are many factors that determine how well a crop yields.

Manitoba Agriculture & Resource Development Cereal Specialist Anne Kirk commented on the importance of seeding a crop on time.

"By the fourth week of May, we do see that yield potential has dropped to below 80 per cent of average for spring wheat, barley, corn, field peas, sunflowers," she said. "Oats, canola and soybeans, according to MASC data, remain above 85 per cent of average yield potential. Seeding in the second/third week of May you might not see that much of a drop in yield potential for a lot of crops but seeding at the beginning of June, you'd obviously see some bigger drops depending on the crop."

Kirk says its important to let the field dry up before starting spring field operations.