Northwest Region Crop Report Prepared by: Manitoba Agriculture
July 28, 2020 |

Northwest Region

General thundershowers, strong winds and temperatures above 25C this week through the entire region. A weather system that went through the region resulted in 62 mm of rain in the Grandview area and 29 mm along with small hail around Swan River. Rainfall amounts were 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 has been excessive with effects of saturated fields evident in all crops in the area.

Good conditions for growing with heat and sufficient moisture is really helping crops along. Earlier season concerns due to cold and dry conditions largely resolved, although some canola still looks poor.

Earlier seeded spring wheat, oats and barley are progressing into the early dough stage, approximately 20% of the spring cereals are still heading /flowering with the balance in late milk stage. Spring cereals are generally in good condition. 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. Fusarium head blight is present in fields where fungicide was not applied.

Hot weather and rainfall has advanced the canola this past week; 50% of the crop still flowering and starting to pod up. Some of the latest seeded or reseeded fields are still bolting. Fungicide applications continue in canola as stages and conditions allow; fields that are in various staginess due to patchy emergence have been a challenge. 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, in the R1 stage 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 90% 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 (461), on NW of Bowsman (408) and another in the Durban (477) area. Armyworms have been reported in cereals and grass crops and producers are encourage to scout for these insects. There are reports of grasshoppers in the Parkland area.

Producers are still trying to complete first cut hay harvest as high humidity and spotty thundershowers slowed down hay drying last week. No rain in this week’s forecast should allow for good haying progress to be made, provided humidity levels remain low. Yields are variable and fields with delayed harvested resulted in more tonnes of forage per acre but quality will likely be reduced. The late cutting date will also have a negative effect on 2nd cut harvest dates as producers that normally take a second cut of alfalfa/grass before mid-August will now have to wait until after a killing frost. On hay fields that were harvested early, second cut growth looks good. Annual crops for feed are looking good with early seeded silage corn fields beginning to tassel. Pastures have responded to well to recent moisture. Dugout levels are adequate.