Manitoba Agriculture’s latest report shows that crop development is running ahead of normal, and that crops are looking good.
Dennis Lange, a pulse and soybean specialist with Manitoba Agriculture and editor of the provincial crop report, says rainfall was received in most regions during the past week but amounts varied quite a bit by region from low to excessive.
With growing degree days, provincially we’re sitting at 125 percent of normal, which means we’ve had some good growing conditions this year. Areas that were of concern last week have received some rain in the last few days, even since this past report came out.
The Carman region received anywhere from 25 to 35 millimeters of rainfall so that’s going to be beneficial for the longer season crops like soybeans and corn but generally the crop has been progressing quite nicely.
Every week we see more and more development in various crops, everything from fusarium spraying occurring in spring wheat so the means we’re just in that flowering stage on the spring wheat.
Some of the crops have been showing some moisture stress. There have been some comments on the corn in the central region having been very stressed and showing some moisture stress conditions with the plants not performing as well as what they would if they had more moisture.
But typically, with all the various things that we’re seeing, we’re probably ahead of the game right now as far as the crop staging goes and, for the most part I think growers are happy to get the rainfall and no major pest issues.
There’s been a few pockets where grasshoppers have had to be sprayed in some cereal grains and also in some forage crops as well. But for the most part growers are just monitoring and making decisions on what to do based on economic thresholds.
~ Dennis Lange, Manitoba Agriculture
Lange says rain over the past week will benefit the crops that received it. He says crops are advancing quickly and he encourages growers to watch crop staging and economic thresholds closely to ensure spraying is optimal.
