Northwest Region Crop Report Prepared by: Manitoba Agriculture
July 21, 2020 |

Northwest Region

There were general thundershowers throughout the region this past week along with temperatures above 25°C. There was a system that went through to the southwest of Swan River that brought 93mm of rain causing overland flooding and issues in that area. Birch River and Inglis received 29mm of precipitation, Ethelbert 41mm with amounts in the mid-teens for the balance of the region.

Soil moisture is adequate through most of the region with the exception of The Pas where soil moisture is surplus and fields are saturated. Spring wheat, oats and barley are heading/flowering with some earlier seeded fields in the milk growth stage. Spring cereals are generally in good condition although weed control has been a challenge.

Winter wheat and fall rye are in the dough stage; winter wheat is in fair to good condition while fall rye is in excellent condition. Hot weather and rainfall has advanced the canola this past week with the crop in full flower with earlier seeded canola continuing to pod. The staginess of canola continues within the region and, in many cases, within the same field. Some of the later seeded canola is still bolting. The canola crop condition ranges from poor to good; the crop is in somewhat better condition on the south end of the region. The soybean crop is flowering and is in good to fair condition. Flax and peas are in good condition. The peas are podding in the southern part of the region and in full flower in the rest of the region. Flax is 50% in the boll growth stage.

Bertha armyworm monitoring is underway with three traps reporting numbers in the “uncertain risk” category, one in the Swan Valley (433), on NW of Bowsman (376) and another in the Durban (427) area. Armyworms have been reported in cereals and grass crops and producers are encourage to scout for these insects.

First cut hay harvest continues to be impacted by unsettled weather across the area. Alfalfa and alfalfa/grass harvest is delayed and a second cut will be impacted. Yield is variable with closer to average amounts reported in the eastern part of the region and yields below normal in central and western areas. Quality will be reduced with harvesting more advanced stands and where swaths have been rained on. Producers are opting to harvest first cut as silage because less field drying time is need to reach the required moisture for putting up as silage. Pasture conditions continue to be variable but will benefit from the recent rainfall. Armyworms have done significant damage to some hay fields in localized areas across the region. Grasshoppers continue to be problematic and are causing damage in the Ethelbert and Grandview areas. Dugout levels are adequate.