Weather conditions over the next few weeks will be critical for determining soybean yields.
Kristen Podolsky, production specialist with the Manitoba Pulse Growers Association, says most fields are at the R4 stage, with some reaching the early seed or R5 stage.
"This stage is the most critical as far as determining yield. Nutrient uptake and water use will peak over the next two weeks, so hopefully conditions stay nice and warm, and we have sufficient water for the beans to fill the pods and produce seed," she says.
Despite the late and cool start to the growing season, she says heat unit accumaltion is close to normal in many areas.
"It takes some by surprise, but we're basically at 95 to 100 percent of normal. June and July were below normal, but these last two weeks have brought us right back to normal," says Podolsky.
She notes the crop will still require frost-free weather through much of September.
"We need about 45 to 50 frost-free days, which will take us right there to the 20th of September, so we need good weather to get there," she says.
Based on crop insurance data, it's projected that around 1.32 million acres of soybeans were planted in Manitoba this spring - an increase of 25 percent over last year.
Source: PortageOnline