Northwest Region Crop Report Prepared by: Manitoba Agriculture
September 24, 2019 |

Northwest Region

Cool weather with intermittent rain showers during the week. Rainfall totalled 20 to 29 mm in the region with the exception of The Pas where there was only a trace amount of precipitation.

The Northwest region had the first killing frost of the season at the end of the week; the coldest temperature was minus 5.5°C at Inglis. There was heavy snow in the Swan River area early Tuesday with accumulations of 2 to 10 cm. In spite of challenging weather, producers are managing to advance harvest with overall progress estimated at 70%.

Spring wheat harvest is 90% complete. Yields at Roblin and The Pas are in the range of 60 to 90 bu/ac, while at Swan River yields are 50 to 75 bu/ac. Some of the wheat is coming off at high moisture and is being dried and/or aerated. The canola crop is either swathed or standing for straight combining. The heavy wet snow at Swan River knocked down some of the standing canola in that area. Canola harvest advanced with overall progress at 65% complete. Roblin and Swan River are 65% complete; operations are just beginning on canola harvest at The Pas. Reported yields are in the 40 to 60 bu/ac range at Roblin and 55 to 70 bu/ac around Swan River.

The killing frost ended soybean crop growth. Soybeans remain standing around Roblin; at Swan River and Ste. Rose harvest is just underway at 5% complete. Oats are 75% complete at Swan River and 50% at Roblin. As for flax, 100% of the crop remains standing. Where soil moisture conditions are suitable, post harvest operations are underway on harvested fields. Baling of straw continued this week where conditions allowed.

Some late seeded greenfeed crops remain to be harvested when weather conditions are suitable. Frost on the weekend halted growth in pastures and hay fields for the year. With pasture conditions deteriorating, supplementation has started particularly in continuously grazed pastures. Nitrates can be a concern in late seeded standing greenfeed crops and in annual regrowth that producers had planned to use for extending grazing with the recent cold temperatures. It is anticipated that some alfalfa fields will be harvested if weather cooperates. Corn silage harvest has just begun with although many fields still require dry down to reach proper moisture before chopping.