Southwest Region
Rainfall was general with amounts ranging from 10 to 20 mm. The precipitation was welcome in most areas.
Harvest is almost complete. Spring cereal and oilseed acres were down due to wet conditions in the spring.
Yields and quality for wheat, barley, oats, winter wheat, fall rye, canola, and flax were average. Sunflower harvest is still not complete. Yields to date are below average and quality is average. Pasture land has declined quickly over the past week and several producers are supplemental feeding. Cattle are being moved off pasture.
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Northwest Region
Harvesting of crops is complete through the Swan River and Roblin areas. In the eastern areas where spring excess moisture delayed seeding, some cereal, canola, hemp, flax and soybean fields remain to be harvested.
For the Northwest Region, yields of hard red spring wheat averaged 45 bushels per acre with 70 per cent grading 1 CW. Oats averaged 75 bushels per acre with 70 per cent grading 2CW. Average barley yield is 55 bushels per acre with 75 per cent grading 1 CW. Canola graded 90 per cent 1 CAN with yields averaging 40 bushels per acre.
Hemp yields are 600 to 800 pounds per acre; seed size and quality are very good. At Ste. Rose, soybeans yields are as high as 40 bushels per acre; however, area average ranges from 20 to 25 bushels per acre. Late-seeded crops also saw reduced yields due to heat and drought stress. Fusariumdamaged kernels and higher incidence of ergot have been the main downgrading factors in wheat.
Winter wheat acres increased significantly with many producers planting into unseeded fields. Winter wheat, fall rye and perennial seed forages germinated evenly and are establishing very well. Most producers are well into fall field work, weed control, straw baling and hauling. Silaging of corn and late-seeded greenfeed is continuing. Winter feed supplies are adequate for the region. Localized shortages exist where lakes Manitoba, Dauphin and Winnipegosis flooded tame and native haylands. Overall level of livestock feeding is equivalent to last year, except where flooding has impacted pasture and forage production.
Central Region
Yields for most crop types are average to below average.
Winter wheat yields were extremely variable, from 40 to 85 bushels per acre. Protein ranged from nine to 11 per cent. There was very little downgrading due to fusariumdamaged kernels.
Barley yields range from 50 to 75 bushels per acre. Quality is generally good with low fusarium levels. Oats yields range widely, but have been generally lower than previous years.
Canola yields were disappointing for many, ranging from 10 to 60 bushels per acre. Many fields had problems with blackleg.
Flax yields range from 13 to 30 bushels per acre. Pea yields range from 30 to 40 bushels per acre. Buckwheat yields are 20 to 22 bushels per acre.
Edible bean yields range from 1,100 to 2,500 pounds per acre. Some downgrading due to frost has occurred; pink discolouration in pintos, yellow tinge in navies, and some purple seed in blacks.
Soybean yields vary from 15 to 45 bushels per acre. Seed size is on the smaller side.
Most areas report average to below-average yields of potatoes; Carberry area was the exception with higher yields. Quality is average to below average, impacted by the hot, dry conditions.
Digging continues for carrots. Sunflower harvest ranges from 10 to 100 per cent complete; yields range from 1,400 to 2,000 lbs. per acre. Quality is generally good.
Corn silage harvest continues. Quality is reported as good; yields are average ranging from 10 to 18 MT, averaging around 14 MT.
Thirty-five per cent of the grain corn crop has been harvested with early yield reports of 80 to 140 bushels per acre.
Damage from Friday s windstorm ranges from minimal impact to as high as 30 per cent in the unharvested crop. Impact of disease in most crops is lower this year due to the hot, dry summer conditions.
Insect problems included some late spraying in winter wheat headlands for grasshoppers.
Fall cultivation progress ranges widely, dependent on field conditions. Some producers report increased wear on shovels due to the poor field conditions.
Soil testing continues. Manure application is being made as conditions allow. The percentage of crop residue burned is lower this year, a factor of lower amounts of residue as well as excellent conditions for straw baling and hauling. Winter wheat and fall rye acres have increased. Germination and stand establishment ranges from poor to excellent, dependent upon precipitation.
Pastures are in fair to poor condition due to lack of rainfall. Hayfields are in fair to good condition, also suffering from low rainfall.
All areas report a low third cut due to dry conditions. Shortages of feed will be most significant adjacent to Lake Manitoba. There are concerns with nitrate levels. Livestock feeding is expected to be higher, due to the hot, dry conditions and lack of pasture growth in late summer.
Eastern Region
With the predominantly favourable weather, many producers with no corn or sunflower acres are finished harvesting. Soil moisture levels across the region are rated as dry.
Hard red spring wheat yields range from 25 to 60 bushels per acre with 75 per cent grading 1 CW. Oats yields range from 50 to 100 bushels per acre with 40 per cent grading 2 CW. Barley yields range from 40 to 60 bushels per acre with 10 per cent designated malt, 70 per cent grading 1 CW.
Canola yields range from 15 to 40 bushels per acre with 75 per cent grading 1 CAN. Soybean harvest is complete with yields ranging from 15 to 40 bushels per acre with 40 per cent of the crop grading 1 CAN. Grain corn harvest is 50 per cent complete with yields ranging from 75 to 125 bushels per acre. Oil sunflower harvest is 60 per cent complete with yields ranging from 1,800 to 2,500 pounds per acre. Confectionery sunflower harvest is only 15 per cent complete with yields from 1,600 to 2,300 pounds per acre; majority of crop is grading 1 CAN.
Hay supplies in the Eastern Region vary on a north-south gradient. In south and central areas supplies will be adequate with hay and straw being offered for sale. In northern areas some producers are short feed due to very poor yielding or absent second and third cuts. The amount of pasture feeding of livestock at this time relative to last year has risen at least 10 per cent. Depending on area, between 25 per cent to 40 per cent of animals are currently on feed.
Interlake Region
Scattered light showers fell over the weekend. Warm, dry conditions throughout the week allowed for advances in fall tillage and harvesting. Corn and sunflower harvest continues in the south while harvest of other crops is complete.
Hard red spring wheat yields averaged 30 bushels per acre with 90 per cent grading 1 CW. Limited barley acres yielded 60 bushels per acre with most grading 1 CW. Oat yields averaged 60 bushels per acre with grades of 2 CW.
Canola and flax yielded 24 and 18 bushels per acre, respectively. There is very good quality for both crops. Soybean yields are below average at 24 bushels per acre. Like canola, early frost and dry weather caused green seed counts to be high, resulting in 75 per cent grading 2 CAN and 25 per cent grading 3 CAN.
Forage grass, alfalfa, and birdsfoot trefoil crops have above-average seed yields. Average yields for these crops are difficult to estimate, but some highlights had timothy seed yield over 500 pounds per acre and alfalfa seed yield over 800 pounds per acre.
Fall tillage and weed control operations are general. Fall fertilization is apparent on only a small acreage so far. Winter wheat crops are in good condition. Dry conditions has allowed for forage restoration work on many acres affected by previous flooding. Supplemental feeding is occurring on many pastures as grass regrowth has been limited due to lack of timely rains.
