Potato Harvest Complete, Crop Suffered From Extreme Heat

Oct 22, 2021

Manitoba's potato harvest has basically wrapped up.

That according to Dan Sawatzky, Manager of Keystone Potato Producers Association (KPPA).

"Yields varied a lot. Certain areas that ran short of water, they certainly performed quite a bit poorer. It's a little bit variable within regions as well, but basically the Carberry area and the Portage area, actually performed quite well. Winkler and Carman, not so good although there are exceptions within all the regions," he said. "We will be short. There were some growers that met contract volumes, but the majority of them did not. The crop didn't fair that well given the heat that we experienced through the summer. Thirty-six days of over 30 degree weather. It actually shortens the season, potatoes don't perform well if the temperature is above 28 or 30 degrees Celsius."

Sawatzky says some farmers delayed harvest to increase the season length in hopes of getting a little extra yield.

"This year we faired overall a little better than last year," he added. "I think our numbers last year ended up being about 17 per cent short of contract. I expect we'll be somewhere in that 10 to 15 per cent range this year. Processors are looking elsewhere to see if there's supply to bring into the province again and the only place that seems to have any extra would be the eastern parts of Canada and the U.S."

Sawatzky notes there is some early storage issues such as blackleg or soft rot. Late and early blight weren't major concerns this year, due to the dry conditions.

Click here to see more...

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.