It's the great pumpkin harvest!

Sep 23, 2022

A Southern Manitoba pumpkin farmer says he's seeing average to above average yields this year.

Scott Friesen, who operates Snowland Vegetable Farms near Halbstadt, commented on the timing of this year's harvest.

"They're about 10 days to two weeks later than I would have liked to have started, just due to the wet spring. Our planting delay was also about two weeks. The wholesalers were looking to buy much earlier but we were just unable to deliver product. It just wasn't quite ready yet."

Friesen grows 95 acres of pumpkins and says he's harvested about 10 per cent so far.

"It's looking to be pretty good. The pumpkins have sized up fairly well to almost a little bit too big as some of the pumpkins, the seed that I buy is supposed to be for a specific size, but with the moisture they've gotten a little bit larger than I would have liked to have seen them."

Click here to see more...

Video: Dr. Emerson Nafziger: Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates for Corn

The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Emerson Nafziger from the University of Illinois breaks down decades of nitrogen research. From the evolution of N rate guidelines to how soil health and hybrid genetics influence nitrogen use efficiency, this conversation unpacks the science behind smarter fertilization. Improving how we set nitrogen fertilizer rates for rainfed corn is a key focus. Discover why the MRTN model matters more than ever, and how shifting mindsets and better data can boost yields and environmental outcomes. Tune in now on all major platforms!

"The nitrogen that comes from soil mineralization is the first nitrogen the plant sees, and its role is underestimated."

Meet the guest:

Dr. Emerson Nafziger is Professor Emeritus of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with degrees in agronomy from Ohio State, Purdue, and Illinois. His research has focused on nitrogen rate strategies and crop productivity. He co-developed the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) model, which is widely used across the Midwest. His research spans N response trials, hybrid interactions, crop rotation effects, and yield stability.