Winter cereal harvest wrapping up

Manitoba Agriculture Cereal Specialist Anne Kirk commented on yields.

"Average yields for fall rye range from about 75 to 90 bushels per acre and we are seeing higher average yields with the hybrid fall rye crops. For winter wheat, we're seeing average yields of about 60 to 70 bushels per acre. For fall rye, we are seeing some higher levels of ergot, so conditions are good for development of ergot this year. For winter wheat, we are seeing some higher levels fusarium in certain regions of the province as well."

She notes many farmers have commented that they are intending to seed more fall rye this autumn if conditions remain favourable, especially on ground that had been summerfallowed due to excessive moisture.

Kirk says the spring wheat is ripe in many areas, but farmers are waiting for drydown and good harvesting weather

"Spring wheat is looking good. There has been some minimal harvest across the province, mostly in the Central region where we've estimated about five per cent of the spring wheat harvest. We do expect that spring wheat harvest will really ramp up this week and into the weekend. A lot of the crop is physiologically mature, it just has to dry down a bit before harvest is ready."

Manitoba Agriculture's weekly crop report says the spring wheat crop is rated mostly good to excellent, and yield averages are reported between 70 to 75 bu/acre in the Central region.

Pre-harvest application on wheat is ongoing as crop maturity is less uniform in some locations due to delayed seeding/emergence, or weed escapes are above crop canopy.