Overview
Continued wet soils and an unfavourable forecast has further delayed the bulk of seeding starts in Manitoba. Heavy rainfall in Western Manitoba stopped progress in the Southwest and Northwest regions, while the Eastern, Central, and Interlake regions got started over the weekend. Many fields still have wet spots, and farmers are attempting to find the driest field to plant, for almost any crop, and still having to dodge soft areas. Cool conditions have persisted into mid-May, with lower corn heat unit (CHU) accumulation leading growers to consider the timeframe left for crop maturity for the season between May 1, or June 1 and September 30 (see graphic at top).
Cereals
Read Also
Manitoba Parkland research station grapples with dry year
Researchers at the Parkland Crop Diversification Centre have had to pull the plug on some trials this season because of drought conditions.
Winter cereal survivability appears good, with some smaller drowned-out spots in areas with ponding water. Growth remains slower than normal, due to wet conditions and cool days.
Fall rye has good root development, and many fields are beginning to tiller. Top-dress fertilizer application has occurred on some fields.
Farmers remain extremely concerned about seeding delays, and hope to begin as conditions allow and have considered switching out of longer-season corn hybrids to a shorter CHU hybrid, but changes to date are limited as seeding did start for many farms over the weekend.
Spring wheat seeding was more widespread over the weekend, in areas missed by rain – seeing wheat, oats, and barley planted on drier ground in all regions.
Corn planting has begun in the Red River Valley, approximately 10 per cent of intended corn acres are in the ground.
Many popular long-season corn hybrids in southern Manitoba require 2250 to 2500 CHUs to reach maturity, and the historical CHU accumulation from June 1 to September 30 shows approximately 2280 CHUs accumulate during that time.
Conditions were generally favourable for grasshoppers during the egg laying period last August and September. All pest species of grasshoppers are still in the egg stage, which is quite tolerant to excess moisture. Early juvenile stages are most susceptible to excess moisture.
Recent flooding of ditches and field edges is not expected to result in significant grasshopper mortality. The cool conditions the eggs have been exposed to could delay hatch, with hatch starting near the beginning of June in many areas, and peaking towards mid- or later June.
Oilseeds
Very few canola crops have been planted to date, as farmers concentrate on longer-season crops, or those more sensitive to seeding date – peas, wheat, and corn.
Some canola is being broadcasted and harrowed or coultered in.
A number of crops have been ‘mucked in’, attempting to get any seed in the ground, but seed survivability emergence is not expected to be high in those instances.
Farmers are encouraged to use traditional seeding methods for canola crops wherever possible, ensuring better seed-to-soil contact and higher likelihood of crop success; rather than moving to broadcast seeding.
Broadcast or aerial seeded canola must be incorporated via mechanical means on or before the seeding deadline, and must fully establish in order to be eligible for AgriInsurance.
Canola acres will surpass Statistics Canada estimated area originally published on April 26, as a result of multiple delays to begin seeding, and some switching out of long-season crops.
Many farmers hope that flea beetle pressure will be reduced due to inhospitable spring conditions, but flea beetles mortality is uncertain. Instead, Manitoba farmers may see less flea beetle damage in canola crops that are sown into warm and moist soils, where plants emerge quickly and outgrow flea beetle feeding
Pulses
Some field pea crops have been planted, wherever soils have been dry enough to support machinery.
Peas already planted in the Swan Valley are stressed by recent heavy rains.
Limited soybean planting has started in the Central and Eastern regions, near Carman and Dominion City.
Crop planting order has been completely disregarded, as farmers are in a rush to get any crop in the ground.
No dry edible beans have been planted to date.
Forages & Livestock
Forages
Top-dress fertilizer applications have been made on some hayfields.
Pastures started to green up in the Northwest, Southwest, and Central regions, but regrowth has been slow due to cool conditions, with regrowth better in the Central, Interlake and Eastern regions with more
accumulated growing degree-days.
Nearly all regions of the province remain short on feed supplies, and remaining overwinter supplies are being stretched thin by delaying cattle turn-out to pasture with wet conditions and limited to no new growth.
Low-lying flooded pastures have partially drained off, but wet areas remain.
Pasture growth is estimated to be about 2 weeks behind normal.
Livestock
Approximately 40 per cent of cattle herds in the Northwest have been turned out to sacrifice pastures, with supplemental feed, while some cattle had to be relocated to higher ground as a result of the previous weeks’ flooding.
Paddock and winter-feeding areas are very wet, making it hard to work, and compromising calf health.
Nearly all creeks, streams, dugouts, and sloughs have refilled to capacity.
Regional Comments
Southwest
Many fields are saturated in the region with heavy rain systems stalling over Western Manitoba late last week. Flood alerts have been declared in communities along the Little Saskatchewan River. Wet fields have prevented planting progress, and less than 5 per cent of fields have been seeded in the region. Producers are trying to find dry fields, and generally seeding the higher ground, or loamier soils, wherever they exist.
Northwest
Substantial rains fell across the region on Friday, along with strong winds. Ethelbert and Garland received the highest amounts of rain, totalling approximately 90 mm. Flooding and washouts of major highway routes and rural roads and bridges led to several regional municipalities declaring states of local emergency. Prior to Friday’s storm, one to two days of seeding progress occurred in the Swan Valley and Roblin districts, leading to less than 5 per cent of spring wheat, and 5 per cent of peas planted.
Central
Soils have dried substantially over the past week, but wet spots remain, and overland flooding has receded. A few fields remain inundated along the Red and Morris rivers. Planting has started for the majority of farmers, with only a few locations still too wet to start anywhere. Carman to Elm Creek, as well as Roland, Arnaud, and Winkler-Morden areas and west along the escarpment are seeing the most progress so far. The regional seeding completion sits at 5 per cent.
Eastern
Seeding attempts began this past Saturday, with continued attempted starts across the region to begin the week. Many farmers are starting with planting corn, but corn acres are expected to fall if the crop cannot be planted by the end of this week. Crop switching has been limited to date, as farmers have been harrowing or doing light tillage ahead of the seeders to enable more efficient machinery operations. Rainfall accumulations ranged from 5 to 15 mm, mostly falling last Thursday. An unfavourable forecast puts the bulk of seeding after the May Long weekend.
Interlake
Flooding continues to recede, with only a few fields remaining underwater, but many fields have wet spots. Seeding has started in the south Interlake, mainly Warren and Grosse Isle areas. In the north Interlake some bulk seed is leaving dealers’ yards, but seeding is unlikely over the next few days without changes to the forecast and more favourable drying weather.
