Manitoba Harvest in Final Stages

Less than 10% of Manitoba crops remain to be harvested, the bulk of them corn, soybeans and sunflowers.

The latest weekly crop report on Wednesday pegged the overall provincial harvest at 91% complete, well ahead of 77% on average.

All of the oats, barley and peas are now the bin. Just 1% of the spring wheat remained to be combined, along with 6% of the canola and 32% of the flax. Meanwhile, just under a half of the soybeans (45%) were still out in the field. The corn and sunflower harvest was just getting underway, with less than 1% of both crops in the bin, and the dry bean harvest was 82% complete.

Warm, above-seasonal temperatures have favoured rapid harvest completion, with easy field access and limited time waiting or drying crops, the report said. Regrowth on drought-stressed soybeans is present in some fields in the most severely hit areas, seeing green soybean stems and new pods forming, but has not affected harvest quality, it added.

Canola in Manitoba is generally yielding lower than average oil content, based on preliminary Canadian Grain Commission harvest survey reports.

Winter cereal seeding is generally complete, and crop insurance deadlines for extended coverage close on September 30. Crops range in development from two- to six-leaf stages.

Fall fieldwork varies by farm management, soil moisture, water conservation strategy, and intended fertilizer practice. Many farms are choosing to do a fall post-harvest spray, till to incorporate residue and volunteer grain and weeds, or wait until frost kills green regrowth, the report said.

Southwest:

Very warm days, well above seasonal norms advanced harvest rapidly this week. Temperatures were extremely variable, with daytime highs ranging from the 25°C to 29°C, while overnight lows dipped to 3.5 °C, with reports of frost in some northern areas. Average daily temperatures range from 11°C to 14°C. Dry and breezy days making harvest easy, excepting green regrowth or weeds in late canola and soybeans. Corn and sunflower harvest has begun ahead of schedule. Canola and soybean harvest continues; many producers are finished cereals. Significant progress has been made on fall tillage, with the first (light) pass over the land complete on many acres.

Harvest is estimated at 75 to 80% complete. Spring wheat harvest for many in the region is complete; overall completion sits at 98%. Yields have generally been good; straw has been baled immediately following cereal harvest. Most bales have been picked up, allowing for fall tillage operations. Some postharvest weed spraying is also occurring. Barley and oat harvest is also complete. Some growers are green feeding some of the regrowth in oats, which has headed out again. Canola harvest is estimated at 85 to 90% complete. Yields range from 30 to 45 bu/ac; with average yields expected to be in the upper thirties. Some reports of regrowth in standing canola fields. Flax harvest continues, with yields ranging from 20 to 25 bu/acre.

Most soybeans are at R8 stage. Harvest progress is estimated at 55 to 60% complete, with some producers just starting and others finished. Early yields reported in the 30 to 45 bu/ac range. Average is expected to end up close to 35 bu/acre.

Northwest:

Another week of no precipitation and good weather allowed harvest to progress nicely across the region. However, the lack of precipitation continues to deplete soil moisture conditions and water sources. Some post harvest fieldwork has been done; however, some are holding off due to dry conditions. Post-harvest weed control is taking place as weeds and volunteers are actively growing. The Roblin, Inglis, and San Clara areas each received a couple nights of light frosts with Inglis reaching -2°C.

Spring wheat is 99% harvested, while some oats remain standing and ready to be harvested. Canola is 95% harvested across the region, with varying yields being reported reflective of crop conditions. Harvest progress is slightly lower in The Pas. Canola that is still standing is either late germinating/reseeded and is not quite ready for harvest. Yields in the Swan Valley in poorer crops are approximately 15 to 25 bu/ac and better crops yielding 45 to 50 bu/ac; yields in Roblin are near 35 bu/ac and Dauphin at 25 bu/ac and upwards to 55 bu/ac in better fields.

Soybean harvest is underway across the region, while more advanced in the southern areas. Most of the soybean crop is at R8 and continuing to ripen. Yields so far in the Dauphin region are averaging 25 to 40 bu/acre. Flax is 50% harvested, no reported yields as of yet.

Central:

South to westerly winds early to mid week have brought warmer air, pushing daytime temperatures above normal while providing good drying conditions, allowing for excellent harvest progress. Heavy to light dews arrived, depending on overnight temperatures and winds. Topsoil is drying without recent meaningful precipitation. Soil temperatures are above 10°C. Forecast this week is for mostly sunny conditions, except for chance of rain mid-week, and above normal temperatures. No frost in the forecast. Harvest operations should progress as conditions allow.

Winter cereal planting is considered done. Earliest planted fields have emerged uniformly with the favourable topsoil moisture conditions at seeding. Staging of winter cereals depends on seeding date and varies from two to six leaves. Field tillage continues to terminate volunteer grain growth and incorporate crop residue. First pass cultivation on cereal acres has been done on many fields. With the above normal temperatures and no frost, some post-harvest herbicide applications are still being done to control weed growth ahead of next year. Soil sampling continues on harvested fields with elevated residual nitrogen reported in general. Livestock manure application to fields is being done as harvest progressed. Canola harvest is now considered done except for the odd field. Flax harvest is almost done and should wrap up this week. Flax straw is mostly managed via burning.

Eastern:

Trace amounts of rainfall this week across the northern parts of the region, while temperatures began ranged from seasonal to above seasonal. Some northern parts of the region experienced a light frost early Monday morning, seeing temperatures as low as -2°C. No grower concerns resulted, since crops are generally mature. Rapid harvest progress was made this week, particularly with soybeans. Lots of field work and fertilizer application was completed as well. Higher than normal soil temperatures has delayed anhydrous ammonia applications and there is expected to be a rush on this work once things cool down.

Some farms have completed their harvest for the year, or are waiting on sunflowers and corn and are all caught up otherwise. Most growers are working on their soybeans and a few remaining canola fields. Canola harvest is essentially complete except for a few reseeded crops. Canola yield reports range from 10 to 40 bu/ac with the average being around 20 to 25 bu/acre. Canola yielded better than expected, however expectations were low due to the growing season’s moisture deficit. Flax harvest and straw baling is nearly complete with yields in the 20 bu/ac range. Below average yields were expected given how poorly the crop handled drought stress.

Sunflowers were at R9 (bracts yellow or brown, physiological maturity). Desiccation is completed and sunflowers continue to dry down rapidly. Producers have noted that sunflower and corn harvests may end up overlapping this year. Soybean harvest is about 50% done with yields ranging from 19 to 42 bu/ac with good quality. Average yield for the region will likely be between 30 to 35 bu/acre. A few soybean fields are still drying down. Rapid progress on remaining acres will occur this week if the weather cooperates. Producers pushing very hard on harvesting this crop as some rain is in the forecast.

Interlake:

Favourable weather has allowed harvest to progress, with a large jump in soybean harvest completion. No hard frosts have meant that many cereal and canola stubble fields have green regrowth, competing for moisture and nutrients from the 2022 crop. Regrowth on oat, barley, and wheat fields has warranted cutting as silage or greenfeed in many cases. Yellow canola fields are causing major problems trying to take the last of the canola crop off amongst green leaves and flowers, or even where desiccants were applied and crop has not died back.

Some canola regrowth is being put to use as alternate cattle forage. Soybean harvest has advanced to 15% complete in the Arborg area, while 25% complete in the south Interlake. Yields range from 20 to 40 bu/ac, averaging close to the middle of that range. Some late remaining unharvested spring wheat near Arborg is sprouting in the swath, and the few unharvested wheat acres are feed grade, compared to earlier harvested № 1 grade. Desiccation finished on many flax crops; reported yields are approximately 15 bu/acre.