Manitoba Crop Report

Aug 27, 2020

Manitoba Agriculture says overall harvest is 13% complete.

Oilseed Specialist Dane Froese says that number is behind normal.

"We should expect this though, given that crops did go in a little later and we had some moisture issues and quite a number of crops were reseeded, so that does push maturity a little bit later. However, we're not in a dangerous position at this time given that weather has been cooperating and we've had a warm dry finish to much of the growing season for our early crops, so that is allowing them to come off reasonably quickly and generally with good quality and lower moisture."

Late-season dryness together with high heat has prompted premature ripening in some soybean and corn fields where soil moisture was low.

Reported wheat yields to date have been average to slightly below average, given stresses faced by all crops this spring. Oats and barley yields are average to above average.

Greenfeed cereal silage and straw baling is continuing.

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Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.