Manitoba crop conditions are generally improved over a year ago, but hot, humid and excessively wet conditions in some locations are not making it easy.
The latest weekly crop report on Tuesday said producers are expecting normal to above-normal yields in those areas where crops have faced fewer challenges. However, only fair yields are likely in those areas where crops are badly delayed and highly variable in terms of development.
Significant amounts of rain fell across much of southern Manitoba last week and into the weekend, with 50 to 120 mm rain falling along a track from Holland to Teulon, and close to St-Pierre-Jolys this morning, the report said. Overland flooding from this morning’s storm also washed out roads and caused significant crop damage near Teulon, with over 120 mm reported in local gauges there.
Earlier strong winds and thunderstorms also lodged spring wheat, oats, winter cereals, as well as some canola and corn crops. Farmers expect most crops to recover, but dense, lodged crop canopy can encourage rapid disease infection and associated yield losses, the report said.
Fungicide use is much more common in 2022 than in the past few years, due to the density of crop canopy, abundance of rain and dew, and risk of disease development.
Spring wheat has been flowering much of the previous week, with later crops now beginning to flower. Generally, south of the TransCanada Highway, and in local areas in other regions, the wheat crop is rated mostly good to excellent, with exceptions due to extreme moisture.
Click here to see more...