Dry and warm weather during the week ended Monday helped Manitoba growers advance the harvest to levels not usually seen at this time of year.
Harvest progress in the province was at 85 per cent complete as of Monday, compared to the five-year average of 73 per cent. With the exception of spring wheat at 99 per cent finished, all other cereal grains – winter wheat, fall rye, barley and oats – completed their respective harvests, with some wrapping up last month. Field peas also finished its harvest, while dry beans were 96 per cent complete and canola was 86 per cent combined. The soybean harvest was 69 per cent finished, flax was 39 per cent complete, while the corn harvest has just begun at six per cent.
The central region’s harvest was at 95 per cent complete, while the eastern and southwest regions had the most still yet to be combined at 80 per cent.
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Ingelow in the southwest region received the most precipitation in the province during the week at 40.7 mm, while Gretna in the central region and Menicino in the east did not receive any. Most areas of the province saw dry to optimal soil moisture conditions at depths of 30 and 120 cm.
Numerous fields saw spring wheat yields of 35 to 80 bushels per acre, while some fields were as low as 16 and as high as 90. Most spring wheat in Manitoba was in good to fair condition, graded #1 or #2 Canada with protein 13.5 per cent or higher. Oat yields range from 80 to 130 bu./ac., with some fields as low as 60, while barley yields range from 70 to 100 bu./ac. Corn yields in the central region, where 15 per cent of the crop was harvested, were between 80 to 200 bu./ac.
The canola crop was rated good to fair with yields ranging from 20 to 60 bu./ac. The flax crop was in stage 12 (seeds ripe) with yields ranging from 20 to 25 bu./ac. Soybean yields were 20 to 60 bu./ac. in the R8 growth stage, while dry beans were yielding 1,200 to 2,500 pounds per acre.
The green feed harvest was complete and will supplement alfalfa and grass hay supplies. Hay yields were variable, while water supplies for livestock were adequate. Hay levels were rated at 40 per cent surplus, 50 per cent adequate and 10 per cent short. The corn silage harvest in the eastern region was complete with yields from 13 to 15 tonnes per acre. Forage growth was finished due to dry conditions, while pasture conditions were rated 100 per cent fair.
