Manitoba Agriculture Crop Report – August 25, 2020

2020/08/26Local Interest

Northwest Region Crop Report Prepared by: Manitoba Agriculture
August 25, 2020 |

Northwest Region

High daily temperatures through the week continued to advance the crop quickly in the Northwest region.


Thundershowers and widespread rain on the weekend brought a halt to field operations. Amounts in the region ranged from 30 to 55mm through most of the region and upwards of 75mm around Dauphin. Soil moisture is adequate for the most part, although there remain some dry areas around Swan River.

Spring wheat is generally ripe throughout the region with some pre-harvest desiccation underway. There has been a limited start to harvest of the spring wheat crop with less than 5% harvested. The barley in the region is ripening, also with a very limited start to harvest. Oats remain standing and are between hard dough and ripe. Harvest of winter wheat and fall rye is complete in the Roblin area.

The canola crop is podded with the earlier seeded fields turning colour, being desiccated and swathed. Approximately 30% is swathed around Roblin with only about 5% of the canola swathed around Swan River. Fields around Russell are further advanced. There has been a good start to field pea harvest around Swan River, with about 20% of the crop harvested while approximately 50% of the field pea crop around Roblin is harvested. Yields are rated as good. Flax continues to ripen.

Good hay yields have been reported in the western side of the region where producers were able to harvest the second cut alfalfa prior to the mid-August deadline to respect the critical fall harvest period. Cereal silage and greenfeed harvest continues with average to above average yields. Pea straw is being baled for feed and producers are sourcing alternative feeds where need be to alleviate feed shortage concerns. Grasshoppers continue to be a concern in areas around Ethelbert. Pasture conditions range from poor to good; reflective of management, stocking rates and moisture received. Dugout levels are rated low to adequate with quality a concern where levels are lower.