Lack Of Rain Impacting Winter Cereals

Some of the province's winter cereal crops are suffering.

 

That from Dane Froese, Industry Development Specialist with Manitoba Agriculture.

 

"They did not get enough moisture earlier on into September to begin that germination process, particularly in that central region where that moisture is needed and necessary to get those crops germinated and up to about the three/four leaf stage before they freeze and go into dormancy and overwintering," he commented. "Now, we didn't have that growth happen by the time that first frost and solid freeze started to occur. The crop might suffer."

 

Meanwhile, Froese says some farmers are continuing to apply fall fertilizer. Soils have a little bit more moisture due to recent rains and snow, which makes the ground a little more workable. He notes producers are still trying to get as much fertilizer in this fall in order to prepare ahead of time for next spring.

Video: Spring Planting Prep Just Got Serious… We NEED This!

Getting closer to planting season means one thing… it’s time to get EVERYTHING ready.

Today didn’t go exactly as planned—we thought we’d be hauling potatoes again, but instead we spent the day digging equipment out of the cellar, hooking up the grain drill, and getting tractors ready to roll. With wheat planting just around the corner, every piece of equipment matters.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a normal day without a few problems… dead batteries, hydraulic issues, and a truck tire that absolutely refused to cooperate. We tried everything—jump packs, bead bazooka, ratchet straps… and eventually had to bring out the “big guns” just to get things moving again.

But that’s farm life—adapt, fix, and keep moving forward.

We’re getting close to go-time. Wheat seed is coming soon, and planting season is right around the corner