Map: Time Growing Shorter for Meaningful Dryness Relief

Sep 21, 2023

Mostly dry weather may be allowing the Prairie harvest to progress ahead of the average pace in most cases, but time is also running out to get moisture into the ground ahead of winter freeze up.

As the map below shows, soil moisture is well below normal in large pockets of all three Prairie provinces, especially Alberta. With the next week or so expected to be mostly dry across Western Canada – except for parts of Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan – the window for meaningful relief closes just a little bit more before the ground freezes for winter, potentially sometime in November.

Depending on the winter season and the spring thaw, many farmers could again be facing a lack of soil moisture for spring planting. - a problem that now goes back years in some locations.

The outlook for fall precipitation, however, is uncertain.

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Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.