Northwest Region Crop Report Prepared by: Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives GO Teams & Crops Knowledge Centre September 17, 2012 |

Northwest Region

Above seasonal daytime temperatures and dry conditions allowed for completion of harvest of cereals and canola throughout most of the Northwest Region. Occasional periods of high winds in the Swan River valley caused some of the remaining canola swaths to move and pile up with some losses reported due to shattering. Continuing lack of precipitation is resulting in dry soil moisture conditions in most of the region, contributing to reduced fall tillage operations and fall cereal seedbed and germination conditions.

Harvest of all seeded acres is 90% complete on a regional basis. In the southern sector only maturing hemp, soybeans, buckwheat, flax, field beans, grain corn and red clover acres remain. The Swan River and The Pas areas have a small portion of unharvested canola acres remaining. Widely variable harvested crop yields and quality are reported with regional yield averages around the 45 bu/acre for spring wheat; barley is around 50 bu/acre; oats approximately 80 bu/acre.

The regional canola yield is averaging 25 bu/acre with some later seeded canola reported being slightly higher. In addition to the aster yellows impact on canola yields, additional reports of higher incidence of blackleg also contributed to yield reduction.

Winter wheat and fall rye seeding is underway; some producers delayed seeding due to dry soil conditions.

Some pre-harvest herbicide applications are in progress through the northern sectors.

Across all areas, straw supplies are adequate. Native hay is being baled along with some late second cut tame forages. Feed supplies are being sourced where localized shortages exist. Silage corn harvest has begun. Dugout water supplies are still adequate but are declining under continuing dry fall conditions.