Considering how the crop looked earlier this summer, producers in western Manitoba are shocked by the strong yields they’re seeing this September.
Dry months in May, June and July stunted crop growth in many parts of the region, but the slow start is not adversely affecting yields on Keith Gardner’s farm near Lenore, Man.
“We didn’t have much rain until the first part of August,” said Gardner, who planted 1,500 acres of wheat, canola, barley and peas this spring.
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Although he was just starting to combine his wheat last week and hadn’t gotten to his swathed canola, Gardner said the harvest has been surprisingly good to this point.
His barley yielded 75 to 80 bushels per acre and his pea crop averaged 35 to 50 bu.
“Considering our lack of moisture, I’m pleased with that,” said Gardner, adding his neighbours are also satisfied with their returns.
The situation is similar north of Lenore in the Shoal Lake region, said Elmer Kaskiw, a crop production adviser with Manitoba Agriculture.
“Everything is yielding higher than anticipated in virtually all crops,” Kaskiw said.
He estimated that wheat in the area is yielding 40 to 60 bu. per acre, many canola fields are producing more than 40 bu. per acre and barley has been in the 70 to 90 bu. range.
The region was certainly dry this spring. Environment Canada recorded 49 millimetres of rain in May and June at its weather station in Virden, well below the typical rainfall of 123 mm for the two months.
While it delayed growth, the lack of precipitation was also a blessing, Kaskiw said.
“When you don’t get the rain … you also don’t have the disease pressure,” he said. “That’s gone a long ways to letting the crop reach its full yield potential.”
The early part of the summer was also cool or even frigid in many locations, which aided the crop.
“The cooler temperatures during the summer also allowed the crop to grow under relatively low stress levels,” Kaskiw said.
Gardner agreed that cooler temperatures helped plants tolerate the dry conditions.
“If it had turned hot at the end of July, it (the crop) would have really suffered.”
One of the unique aspects of this year’s harvest is the lack of straw, which is probably connected to the lack of heat this summer, Gardner said.
“There’s not a lot of straw compared to the amount of grain that’s in it.”
North of Brandon, near the hamlet of Justice, Dan Mazier and his brother Dave had already harvested more than 1,500 acres of wheat, rye and peas by the middle of September.
With only canola left to harvest, Dan was grateful that they avoided the 150 mm of rain that fell in early September west of Brandon.
“We dodged a bullet,” said Dan, while sitting in a half-ton watching his brother move the combine to a new canola field.
Without getting into specific numbers, Dan said yields have been almost as high as last year, which was a good crop.
He said he and his brother needed a good year because they bought a portion of their fertilizer during last fall’s price spike.
“It’s the most expensive crop we’ve ever put in,” he said.
“But we’re getting the reward back.”
