The harvest in Manitoba is now 43 percent complete, according to the latest provincial crop report
However, the northwest region is only 24 percent complete, while the southwest is just 27 percent complete.
Northwest
Precipitation at the beginning of the week held up harvest progress for most of the region. Low areas continue to hold water, creating challenging harvest conditions. Harvest was able to resume toward the end of the week and over the weekend. Heavy dews continue to narrow the harvest window. Sprouting is occurring in standing and swathed crops. While some post harvest operations are occurring as crops are harvested, some are waiting for drier conditions. Desiccation and swathing of canola continues as stages are reached. Winter cereal seeding continues, and with recent moisture and heat, crops are growing nicely. Approximately 75% of the field pea crops is harvested. The remainder of the crop is ready to harvest or near harvest. Reported yields have been mixed, ranging from below average to average. Spring wheat harvest is approximately 50% complete, and yields range from slightly below average to above average. Pre-harvest glyphosate applications continue in later spring wheat as stages are reached. Canola fields continue to range in stages, with the majority of the crop nearing maturity. Desiccation and swathing is underway in fields that have reached the appropriate stage. Fields that experienced excess moisture have patches of delayed growth that are behind. Canola harvest is approximately 10% complete, with below average to average yields being reported. Majority of soybeans are in the late R6 to R7 stage and are looking good where excess moisture didn’t delay growth this spring. Stagey conditions are evident in some areas that experienced excess moisture through the season.
Southwest
Little to no harvest progress this past week due to rain and spotty showers. Water laying in fields makes travel difficult. Cool evenings and foggy mornings have resulted in dewy morning conditions. Producers with access to driers spent much of last week drying grain and trying to create room for wet grain, so that when they can get back in the field, they have places to store it. Some producers tested fields over the weekend, but fields and grain samples were very wet. In many areas standing and swathed crops are sprouting. Most areas are reporting severe lodging in all crops still to be harvested. Winter cereal and field pea harvest is complete, with reports of average yields and good quality. Spring wheat harvest is 40 to 45% complete, with average to above-average yields. Quality has been good in earlier-harvested crops, but downgrading is occurring in more recently harvested fields. Barley harvest is approximately 70% complete, with average to above-average yields. Quality has started to decrease due to recent rains, and producers are reporting concerns about sprouting. Recently, harvested crops were being downgraded due to sprouting, colour, and low test weight, with much of the crop being graded as feed. Oat harvest is approximately 50% complete. Oat harvest is limited as many fields are still green, and wet conditions are making producers reluctant to swath. Canola harvest remains limited, at less than 25% complete. Reports indicate average yields and good quality. Several fields are being swathed, mostly due to severe lodging caused by disease. Several fields are also being sprayed. Harvest conditions are difficult due to lodging and wet fields. Soybeans are in the early R8 stage, depending on the variety and seeding date. Some fields are at 95% maturity, while others remain green and are just starting to change colour. Corn is at dent stage. Sunflowers are at R7 to R8.
(Manitoba Agriculture news release)
