Manitoba crops suffering, need rain

Stunted crops are the norm this year. Froese said the heat and dry conditions have accelerated development.

“We’re seeing crops generally much shorter than normal and we’re also seeing them mature a lot faster than normal,” Froese said. “We’re seeing crops rapidly move into grain and pod filling stage on cereals, canola, and peas affected by the heat and lack of moisture.”

Froese said the regrowth on forages in hay land has been very slow where farmers are making their first cut. Some fields are completely brown after cutting.

“(We’re) not seeing any regrowth there whatsoever. So, some farmers are in fact delaying their first hay cut operations in order to take advantage of maximum dry matter accumulation,” he said. “Some will get a single cut off this year.”

Froese said a good rain is needed right now to fill crop yield potential and to help achieve bushel weight and set enough seed.

“What we would also really like with that is a reduction in temperature and slowing down in wind speeds,” he said. “We can deal with warmer temperatures provided we have enough moisture, and the wind is lower to reduce that evapotranspirative of loss.”

Froese said a combination of high winds, hot temperatures and lack of rain would be devastating to this year’s crop and hay land.

“That really does become the kicker,” he said.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW

by Alice McFarlane

Manitoba crops suffering, need rain

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