Ducks Unlimited, which offers incentives to grow winter wheat, says more farmers feel positive about planting the crop
From about 2018-21, winter wheat was not a popular crop on the eastern Prairies.
In Manitoba, acres ranged from 35,000 to 70,000 during that period. That’s down significantly from the early 2010s, when 250,000 acres of winter wheat was commonplace in the province.
Acres won’t reach those levels, but more growers feel positive about winter wheat in 2023, said Alex Griffiths of Ducks Unlimited Canada.
“Absolutely. My hope is we’ll crack the 100,000 acres in Manitoba and hopefully in Saskatchewan, as well,” said Griffiths, an agronomist who helps manage the DUC winter wheat program.
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Ducks Unlimited offers financial incentives for farmers to plant winter wheat because the crop provides suitable habitat for ducks to lay eggs and nest in spring.
The main driver of the acreage increase is pretty basic. Farmers are harvesting their canola, peas and other crops earlier than usual. Plus, soil moisture is decent in parts of Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan.
“Last year it was a late spring. So, a lot of people didn’t have a suitable stubble to seed (winter wheat) until later in September,” Griffiths said. “This year, I know guys who have already seeded into canola stubble or are looking at peas or other acres to seed into…. I’ve probably gotten more calls this year than I have the last two combined.”
Nathan Penner has also noticed more enthusiasm for fall-seeded crops. Penner is the commercialization lead for FP Genetics, which markets hybrid rye and pedigreed seed for cereal crops.
Fall rye acres have climbed in recent years, thanks to hybrids that offer higher yield potential.
However, acres dipped in 2022 because of the wet and late spring.
Penner is expecting a bounce back in 2023.
“Fifty percent of our bookings are actually seeded at this stage, which is (a) little earlier than we would typically see,” Penner said Aug. 31. “We’re a bit ahead of the curve, of what was expected to go in the ground…. It looks like it’s going to be a pretty good year.”
Fall rye acres could return to 2021 figures, when about 160,000 acres went in the ground in Manitoba.
An early harvest of spring crops usually has the biggest influence on the acreage of fall-seeded crops, but pricing is always important.
“I usually check Parrish and Heimbecker because they have very good pricing, and it (winter wheat) is above their spring wheat right now,” Griffiths said, adding he’s signed up farmers this year who will grow winter wheat for the first time.
What could restrict acres, this fall, is a lack of winter wheat seed.
Some dealers are scrambling to find some.
“There’s not too many (winter wheat seed growers) in Manitoba. I think there is a bit more in Saskatchewan that are growing certified seed,” Griffiths said, adding some seed dealers are having seed shipped in from Alberta, to make up for the shortfall.
“The seed supply is one of the bigger challenges this year.”
