Manitoba Crop Report - 2019 Summary

 

Seeding progress began earlier than normal in late April, and quick progress followed in May with 94% of main field crops seeded by the fourth week of May.

 

Dry conditions persisted throughout most of the province until early September. Crop yields for spring cereals and canola are average in many areas; however, lower yields were reported for soybeans and some corn due to dry conditions during pod/cob filling. Low disease pressure resulted in good crop quality for early harvested grains; while wet fall weather has seen harvest quality decline for late harvested canola and cereals.

 

Harvest in Manitoba has been slow, and challenging fall conditions have limited progress each week. Harvest of cereal crops and field peas is essentially complete. Canola and flax harvest is close to complete but some crops will remain in fields overwinter, and soybean, grain corn and sunflower harvest is ongoing.

 

Fall field work including tillage, soil testing, post-harvest weed control, and fertilizer applications of anhydrous ammonia have been reduced from previous years due to wet fields and ongoing harvest.

 

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.