The Executive Director of Winter Cereals Canada reports a lack of snow cover in some areas is putting the fall seeded cereal crops at risk of winter kill.
The number of winter wheat acres planted in Manitoba last fall fell to about 200,000, the result of a late canola harvest and lack of available canola stubble in which to plant fall crops, while the number of acres planted in Saskatchewan held steady at about 240,000.
Jake Davidson, the Executive Director of Winter Cereals Canada, reports a lack of snow cover combined with warm temperatures and melting followed by freezing temperatures creates the greatest concern for fall seeded crops.
They looked good in the fall and depending on where you live, for instance where I live north of Minnedosa, I could easily have a foot of snow in my yard. Fields around my house that have stubble have a good 6 to 8 inches on it even with the wind. Those fields have done very well even with the warming and the cooling because the snow hasn’t disappeared so you’ve got that constant soil level temperature. At ground level, with the snow insulation, it doesn’t get all that cold.
Other areas, as we move into Saskatchewan, the gophers are out and running and the trees are starting to bud. They have no snow on the ground. A cold snap like we’ve gone to today in Manitoba, dropping down to minus 27, minus 28, that’s going to be hard on the crop because it’s going to freeze that top inch or 2 of soil. That’s going to cause us winter kill. Then you’ve got everything in between depending on how much snow you’ve got.
Davidson notes there are probes in the ground in winter wheat fields across Manitoba and Saskatchewan and growers can check the internet to locate a nearby area, pick a variety and find out whether or not the typical soil temperature in that area has dropped below the critical freezing point and is in danger of winter kill.
Those maps can be accessed the Winter Wheat Initiative web site at www.growwinterwheat.ca.
