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Farmers Prepare For Seeding After Slow, Steady Melt

It will still be a few more weeks before Manitoba's farmers are out in the field.

Dane Froese is the Industry Development Specialist - Oilseeds with Manitoba Agriculture.

"By in large, we've had a very favourable spring so far," he said. "We've had a slower, steady melt, which has been positively received in Manitoba. Flood risk has been a little lower with the delay in water release off farm fields. With the warm weather this past weekend, we're seeing most fields, at least in southern Manitoba, are snow free and drying off fairly quickly with adequate temperature."

Froese notes there is not a lot of standing water on the fields, as farmers have made improvements to drainage in recent years.

He expects seeding to start around the last week of April/first week of May, which is normal for this time of year. Fields near the Red River and other flood zones could be delayed.

Manitoba Agriculture is expecting to release its first crop report of the season on April 29th.

Source : Steinbachonline

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Sclerotinia and Lygus in Seed Canola: Field Update with George Lubberts, CCA | Enchant, Alberta

Video: Sclerotinia and Lygus in Seed Canola: Field Update with George Lubberts, CCA | Enchant, Alberta

Join Certified Crop Advisor George Lubberts for this Prairie Certified Crop Advisor (Prairie CCA) field update from Enchant, Alberta. In this 12th video of the series, George takes us into a seed canola field where the male rows have been removed and the female plants are filling pods. This video was taken in the third week of August 2025.

George discusses the early signs of sclerotinia stem rot, explaining how infection begins in the stem, impacts pod development, and leads to premature ripening. He also shares insights on lygus bug management, including timing of spray applications to minimize feeding damage and maintain seed size and quality.

With cool, damp summer conditions, George notes that while disease pressure is present, overall field health remains good. The crop is just beginning to show early seed colour change, signaling progress toward maturity.

Topics Covered:

•Sclerotinia stem rot identification and impact

•Managing lygus bugs in seed canola

•Crop stage and seed colour change observations

•Timing insecticide sprays for optimal protection

•Insights from a CCA field perspective in southern Alberta