The Manitoba harvest is now more than half finished as producers continued to make rapid progress in the fields.
The weekly crop report on Tuesday pegged the overall provincial harvest at 55% done, up from 40% a week earlier and 29% two weeks ago.
The Central Region is leading the way at an estimated 68% complete, followed by the Eastern Region at 54% and the Southwest and the Interlake at 52% and 51%, respectively. The Northeast Region was 39% done.
The fall rye and winter wheat harvests are now complete, with dry peas at 99%. An estimated 88% of the barley crop was off, with spring wheat at 87%, and oats at 86%. The canola harvest was 49% done, and dry beans 25%.
Spring wheat yield estimates range from 60 to 90 bu/acre, with an average of 70 bu/acre in the Central and Eastern regions. In the north Interlake, yields range from 25 to 55 bu/acre, and up to 70 bu/acre in the south Interlake. Levels of fusarium head blight vary greatly from field to field, with some grain quality being reduced to grade two.
Oat yield estimates range from 80-180 bu/acre and barley from 90 to 115 bu/acre.
Swathing and pre-harvest applications are ongoing in canola. The Central Region canola harvest has reached 70% complete. The Northwest region is at 25% complete.
For dry beans, there is a wide range of yield, from 500 to 3,500 lbs/acre. Quality to date is reported as good.
Southwest:
A few rain showers in the area caused slight delays in the harvest during the week. Day time conditions included low humidity, above-normal temperatures, and some decent afternoon winds are helping the harvest. Temperatures ranged from 29.1°C to 32.7°C, with minimum overnight temperatures between 4.2°C to 10.9°C, and daily averages around 18.5°C. Fall work has begun, with producers harrowing and spraying some fields for weeds missed during preharvest.
The harvest is estimated to be 50 to 55% complete. The quality of all cereal crops is good, with yields reported as average to above average. The winter cereals harvest is complete, and producers are seeding winter wheat and fall rye in fields after canola harvest.
Northwest:
Generally, a good week for harvest progress with a pause mid-week due to precipitation in some parts of the region. A hot start to the week with highest daytime temperature recorded at Birch River station at 35 °C. The lowest overnight temperature in the region was recorded at the Minitonas station at 2.7 °C. Drifting River station and Swan Valley received the most precipitation this week at 12 mm. Harvest in some areas has been a challenge and slow at times where crops had been lodged this season. This includes cereals, oilseeds as well as field peas. Post harvest operations are occurring on some fields as time allows.
Central:
Regional air temperature highs were between 28 - 34 ºC, but nighttime lows were between 5 - 11 ºC. Most locations received less than 10 mm of precipitation, high humidity and high winds. These warm and dry conditions allowed for rapid advancement of field activities. Producers are busy applying pre-harvest herbicide, swathing, cutting, and harvesting. Harvest has been slower for some this year due to increased straw production due to moist conditions early in the year, and some lodging in cereals. Cover crop seeding is wrapping up as midSeptember is typically considered the last opportunity for establishment.
Eastern:
Over the reporting period, rainfall accumulations in the region ranged from trace amounts to about 8 mm with most areas receiving very little rainfall. Day and nighttime temperatures were above seasonal during most of the week and accompanied by high humidity levels and strong winds. The weather allowed producers to make rapid progress on harvesting and field work. Unsettled weather with rainfall rolled into the region on Monday morning bringing activity to at least a temporary halt as producers waited to see what unfolds.
Interlake:
Intermittent rains resulted in minor delays and producers continue to make progress with harvest. The northern parts of the region received up to16 mm, while southern areas received less than 10 mm. Many producers are caught up on canola and cereals and are waiting for soybeans to be ready. Daytime high temperatures were in the low 30s°C, with average temperatures of 19.5°C. Swathing and desiccation of crops continues.
