Manitoba Agriculture reports that last week’s rain has replenished soil moisture reserves but slowed spring seeding. Sonia Wilson, an oilseed specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, says despite the rain, planting remains ahead of normal.
Overall, provincially we are sitting at about 57 percent complete in terms of seeding for all crops as compared to our five-year average of 45 percent so, because of these last couple of weeks, we’re definitely ahead of our normal five-year. In terms of what’s actually been going in, the majority of our spring wheat, oats and barley are completely seeded.
The northwest is sitting at 80 percent complete for spring wheat and some of the other cereals as well have to go in for the southwest and northwest but mainly complete. When we look at corn we’re about halfway planted across the province and we’ve had those higher temperature days so had an accumulation of growing degree days here in early season so that early seeded corn is emerging and growing quite quickly. Other crops, for oilseeds we see canola sitting at about 30 percent seeded across the province.
A lot of farmers turned to seed that right before the rainfall started and I’m sure will continue as field conditions allow. Sunflowers are over 80 percent complete and flax is sitting closer to canola at 30 percent. When we look at pulse and soybeans, our field peas which go in quite early are basically complete, sitting at 96 percent. Soybeans are being turned to next and are about 40 percent across the province and we do have a few acres of dry beans that have been seeded but are probably coming up in the next couple of weeks.
~ Sonia Wilson-Manitoba Agriculture
Wilson says most regions are reporting optimal moisture with some areas reporting excess moisture with standing water in lower areas.
She says with the exception of the east and eastern portions of the Interlake, which are below 70 percent of normal moisture, rainfall over the past week has brought accumulations closer to normal.
