Dennis Lange, industry development pulses specialist for Manitoba Ag, said in a March 10 interview that any such changes “would be an option for somebody who hasn’t had fertilizer plans set up already.” Lange said if there were to be any alterations, the most likely crops to change to would be soybeans and pulses.

Fertilizer, crude oil prices rise

Fertilizer prices have spiked, following sharp hikes in crude oil prices that started when the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28.

The day before, urea futures on the Chicago Board of Trade were about US$442 per tonne in the nearby contracts. By March 3, urea hit US$590 and closed March 10 at US$585.

In comparison, the April contract for West Texas Intermediate jumped from US$67 per barrel on Feb. 27, to almost US$95 six days later. On March 9, WTI topped out at more than US$119/barrel before closing at around US$83.50.

Fall fertilizer

Lange said Manitoba farmers managed to get down a good amount of fertilizer in the fall after a number of extensions to the application deadline following frequent rains.

“For now, I don’t foresee any big swings because there was a fair bit of fertilizer that went down last fall, on the nitrogen side anyways,” Lange said.

He added that growers will likely keep to their crop rotations and give consideration to weed issues, especially when it comes to planting peas.

“It’s the status quo for the most part, but if there’s unseeded acres or unplanned acres, that might be a shift to the crop set that might be more economical,” Lange said.

StatCan forecast

On March 5, Statistics Canada issued its planted area projections for 2026/27 and forecast less pulse acres for Manitoba while soybeans are to increase.

The post Manitoba farmers not too likely to change planting plans appeared first on Grainews.

Manitoba crops were 93 per cent combined as of Oct. 13, six points more than the previous week, said the province’s weekly crop report released on Oct. 15. All regions saw at least 14 millimetres of precipitation while snow accumulated in parts of the northwest. The Pas received the most precipitation at 65.7 mm. Winds exceeding 60 kilometres per hour were also felt in most regions. Nevertheless, harvest progress in all regions ranged from 91 to 98 per cent.

The barley and oat harvests were 99 per cent complete, while canola and dry beans were 96 per cent finished. Soybeans were 90 per cent complete while potatoes were at 84 per cent. Silage corn and flax were at 77 and 76 per cent, respectively, while grain corn lagged at 42 per cent and sunflowers trailed all crops at 17 per cent.

Winter cereal planting is complete with most of them in the three-leaf stage. Spring wheat yields averaged 60 bushels per acre with some fields showing yields up to 90 bu./ac. Barley yields ranged from 65 to 110 bu./ac., while oats ranged from 110 to 130 bu./ac. However, wet harvest conditions have caused a loss of quality in spring cereals.

Canola yields averaged 45 bu./ac. in a range of 30 to 70 bu./ac. The field pea harvest yielded an average of 60 bu./ac. from a range of 30 to 75 bu./ac. The soybean harvest continued with yields between 30 to 55 bu./ac. Meanwhile, the sunflower harvest was delayed due to producers waiting for them to dry.

Producers with cereal silage and native/slough hay are fighting wet conditions to wrap up their harvests. Producers are also encouraged to use management practices to promote and maintain snow cover for insulating alfalfa crowns in the winter. Pastures are now dormant with livestock now feeding on stockpiled forages, crop residue and regrowth or supplemental feed.

Livestock operations have begun weaning, but rains caused muddy conditions in pastures and corrals. Most producers have acquired sufficient amounts of feed for the winter, while hay and straw bales were being moved to wintering areas. Manure was also being spread out onto fields.

The post Manitoba Crop Report: Harvest near completion despite snowfall appeared first on Grainews.

Manitoba’s harvest advanced by 14 points to 86 per cent complete, said the province’s weekly crop report. Spring wheat was 99 per cent finished while barley and oats were 98 per cent. The canola harvest moved up to 92 per cent done while dry beans were at 90 per cent and potatoes were at 84 per cent. The soybean and silage corn harvests were at 69 per cent finished, with corn for grain at eight per cent.

The central, eastern and Interlake regions received heavy precipitation and winds gusting to 80 kilometres per hour. Sprague Lake in the eastern region received the most rain at 70.7 millimetres. However, there were a handful of locations that received less than one mm. Precipitation accumulations since May 1 were below 60 per cent of normal in the Interlake and parts of the northwest, while parts of the southwest and central regions received more than 100 per cent.

Spring wheat yields averaged 60 bushels per acre, with some yields reported to be 70 to 90 bu./ac. Quality was mostly good, but fields with delayed harvest due to wet conditions saw their wheat downgraded to feed. Oat yields ranged from 110 to 130 bu./ac., while barley yields were 65 to 110. Most corn for grain reached maturity as harvest began.

Canola yields ranged from 30 to 70 bu./ac. with an average of 45. Both flax and sunflowers were desiccated with the latter in the R8 and R9 development stages. Soybean yields ranged from 30 to 55 bu./ac.

Corn silage harvests have begun with average to above-average yields reported in most areas.

Some pastures remain in very good condition but producers are already providing supplementary feed for livestock. Producers are also considering late cuts of alfalfa as weather permits, particularly in areas that received frost damage.

Cattle were in excellent condition and remain on fall grazing pastures, hayland and harvested crop fields. Producers have started weaning and cattle are heading into markets being sold at very good prices. Most producers secured winter feed, but those in very dry areas are sourcing feed from elsewhere. Manure is starting to be spread out onto fields.

The post Manitoba Crop Report: Harvest advances despite heavy rains appeared first on Grainews.

Manitoba Agriculture reported both crops were about 52 per cent harvested, with the least in the southwest at 25 per cent and most in the central and eastern regions at 80 per cent. Early estimates placed yields for both crops at 40 to 90 bushels per acre, depending on how dry or moist a region was.

The spring wheat harvest reached six per cent finished, with the northwest at one per cent and the central and Interlake at 10 per cent. Yields so far were calculated at 45 to 75 bu./ac.

Wheat conditions by region had the Interlake at 90 per cent good to excellent, with the central, eastern and northwest at 80 per cent. The southwest was at 90 per cent good.

The barley harvest was pegged at eight per cent done ranging from five per cent in the Interlake and 20 per cent in the central. The oats were at four per cent combined, with the eastern and Interlake regions at five per cent in the bin and the central at 10 per cent.

As for the province’s corn, it’s in the R2 to R3 stages. Corn for silage was reported to be growing well in most areas.

The province’s field peas were 19 per cent combined, with the southwest at 10 per cent done and the central at 30 per cent. Yields were reported to be averaging 60 bu./ac. The fields not being combined were in the R6 to R7 stages with desiccation underway.

The canola harvest barely started with the central region at two per cent finished with preliminary yields of 45-55 bu./ac. No other region reported any combining of canola.

Among other oilseeds, flax was said to be filling bolls with some fields changing colour. Most sunflowers were in the R5 stage with full to late flower. Soybeans were in the R5 to R6 stages.

Recent rains have slowed some of the haying, but overall production was reported to be average. While some dairy farmers began a third cut of hay, cattle producers were struggling with a second cut.

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At a forage workshop hosted by the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association at the University of Manitoba in March, Manitoba Agriculture entomologist John Gavloski highlighted several key insect pests that can affect forage production and shared strategies for managing them.

Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers are a common pest in Prairie fields. Canada is home to 129 species of grasshoppers, but very few of those cause crop damage. There are only four or five grasshopper species that are considered to be pests, and of those, three are responsible for most of the damage.

“The top three grasshoppers in our survey this year are two-striped, which has been our dominant species in recent years, followed by either clear-winged or migratory,” Gavloski says.

All three have a similar life cycle. They all overwinter as eggs, laid in clusters of 20 to 30. The individual eggs resemble grains of brown rice.

“If you can dig those up easily, then you know you’ve got a decent grasshopper egg population,” Gavloski warns.

—> MORE ON FORAGES: Managing diseases in alfalfa

The ideal time for control is when the grasshoppers’ wing buds become visible. At this stage, the hatch is likely complete.

“Try to figure out what those newly hatched populations are like,” he says. “That will help you with your decision-making later on.”

Farmers can also lean on provincial grasshopper risk maps. Each of the Prairie provinces puts out a risk map in the fall based on samples taken, usually in August. The maps can help estimate the next season’s egg-laying potential.

While these maps can help, Gavloski warns they’re estimates and don’t guarantee outcomes for the following season. Weather conditions after the surveys have been done can affect populations. A warm fall with a late frost can mean there is more development within the egg, and the hatch could come sooner. And while the eggs are waterproof, heavy rains after the hatch, when the young grasshoppers are small, lack fat reserves and need to feed, can lower survival rates.

“They’re more vulnerable when they’re really tiny,” Gavloski says. “They get disease, they get bloated and they can drown.”

—> MORE ON GRASSHOPPERS: Reduced-area pest spraying can still hit moving targets

Economic thresholds: Estimating whether grasshopper numbers have reached the economic threshold can be challenging.

Gavloski estimates grasshopper populations by walking 50 metres along a field edge or ditch, selecting five random one-metre square areas and counting the grasshoppers that jump as he approaches. He then disturbs the plants to check for remaining insects.

These counts provide an estimate of the grasshopper population. The process doesn’t give very accurate results, but can probably let you know if you’re near the threshold.

“Usually, you can get a ballpark range,” Gavloski says. “If you think it was somewhere around 12 to 15, that is good. You don’t have to know that it was actually 13.”

For forage crops, the economic threshold for grasshopper control is generally considered to be eight to 12 grasshoppers per square metre.

Control methods: Gavloski recommends using what is called the Reduced Area and Agent Treatments (RAATS), which involve treating alternating swaths of land. This method works because grasshoppers move from untreated areas to treated areas. Research done in Wisconsin has shown RAATS can provide very good control while using half the insecticide.

—> MORE ON FORAGES: Grow forages, starve weeds

“The results of the research showed they were getting 94 per cent control when they sprayed the whole rangeland, but they were able to get 81 per cent control by only doing half of the rangeland,” Gavloski says.

Insecticides such as Coragen (chlorantraniliprole) are commonly used to control grasshoppers. Coragen is effective, with relatively low toxicity to pollinators. Generic insecticide versions have made treatments more affordable.

Cutworms

Cutworms are a diverse group of pests in Canada. Gavloski spoke about three different categories of cutworms: climbing, surface-feeding and subterranean.

Climbing cutworms climb plants at night to feed, then retreat underground or under debris during the day. Unlike other cutworms, they don’t cut plants but leave feeding damage on leaves, which can be misleading when scouting. The dingy cutworm is the most common climber in Manitoba. It can be identified by small leaf-like markings on its body. To find them, dig around damaged plants.

Surface-feeding cutworms crawl along the ground and cut plant stems, leaving severed plants behind. If you see cut plants, dig around to find the caterpillars nearby. The redbacked cutworm is a common surface-feeding species. It is recognizable by two red lines running down its back.

Subterranean cutworms live and feed underground, making them difficult to detect and control. The glassy cutworm is an example of a subterranean feeder. It prefers grasses over broadleaf crops and is commonly found in forage and cereal crops.

Gavloski also pointed out that some infestations can appear in patches. The patchiness can depend on egg-laying patterns the previous season, but it can also depend on topography. In more rolling landscapes, the warmer, southern side of the slopes tends to attract the bugs.

Economic thresholds: Gavloski didn’t speak to economic thresholds in his presentation. Manitoba Agriculture’s website says economic thresholds haven’t been well researched for cutworms, but included some anecdotal thresholds for various crops.

For alfalfa (the only forage crop listed), the website suggests four to five larvae per square foot (30 cm) as a threshold. Otherwise, farmers can just make a judgement based on the level of plant injury. Visible, widespread damage that threatens plant stands would obviously signal the need for control.

Control methods: Management strategies depend on the species. Coragen Max is the only insecticide registered for cutworms in forages — and while Gavloski says more options are needed, the pesticide is effective.

“It is a very good product for cutworms, at least the ones that surface feed; it’s got residual, and it is basically harmless to bees and many beneficial insects.”

Since cutworms are most active at night, insecticides should be applied late in the afternoon or evening.

Unfortunately, the effectiveness of insecticides to control subterranean species is “hit-and-miss,” Gavloski says. “Because they’re not coming above the ground to feed, they can be a real nuisance to manage with insecticides.”

Targeted spraying of affected areas can be used in situations where an infestation is not widespread.

“If the problem is small — say, 10 or 20 acres have a lot and the rest of the fields aren’t bad — you can patch-spray for cutworms.”

Cereal armyworm

The pest Gavloski refers to here shouldn’t be confused with the better-known bertha armyworm, which is mostly a concern for canola growers. As the name suggests, cereal armyworms are more likely to be found in forage grasses than alfalfa stands. It is also known as true armyworm or simply as “armyworm.”

Adults don’t overwinter in Canada but migrate from southern areas, often carried by wind currents in spring and summer, and while they have a particular affinity for timothy, most forage grasses are excellent hosts for armyworms.

“When the adults arrive, they’re looking for a lush, dense grassy stand to lay their eggs into,” Gavloski says. “So a perennial grass is just ideal … that’s where the eggs often end up.”

However, if they defoliate enough in an area, they will start moving into other areas (these movements are why they’re called armyworms), and, while their preference is to feed on grasses, they may feed on broadleaf plants in lieu of a grass crop if that’s what’s available.

Armyworm larvae have distinct stripes, with a V-shaped marking on their heads. The colours can vary, but those striped patterns are usually visible. The adult moths are light brown with white dots on their wings. Armyworm larvae feed primarily on grasses and are often found in forage stands, especially in early spring.

When scouting for armyworm larvae, check multiple areas of the field, as populations can vary within a single field. Shake plants and inspect the soil for larvae, paying close attention to plant debris, soil clumps and cracks.

“During the day, they’re trying to hide, so they’re underneath the debris and may go into the cracks in the soil,” Gavloski says. “So you have to look in the cracks, peel away the debris and do your counts.”

In cereal and grass crops, begin scouting in late June and examine at least five areas, focusing on patches of lodged plants and grassy weed infestations. Fields or sections with significant bird activity should also be monitored, as birds often feed on armyworms. Additionally, check the backs of larvae for parasite eggs, which can indicate natural control.

Economic thresholds: The threshold for control varies by crop. For forage grasses, it’s generally five larvae per square foot (929 cm²). However, as mentioned, they love timothy. Instead of feeding on the leaves before moving on to the heads like they do with other grasses, with timothy, they attack the heads first. As a result, they may require intervention even if the threshold isn’t met.

“Sometimes, it will pay to control them at levels below a threshold, depending on where they’re feeding and how much damage they’re doing,” Gavloski says.

Control methods: Insecticide applications should be timed for the evening or late afternoon, as armyworms primarily feed at night.

As with cutworms, chlorantraniliprole is the only active ingredient registered for armyworms. The products Coragen Max, Coragen (the pre-Max version) and a new generic version called Shenzi are available for farmers to use.

Alfalfa weevil

As the name suggests, the alfalfa weevil is a major economic pest for alfalfa crops, but will also feed on other legumes such as clover, making it a major concern for many farmers growing forages.

Adults overwinter under plant debris and soil in and around alfalfa fields and emerge in spring, feeding on alfalfa leaves. Round, elongated holes in the leaves are an indication of adult alfalfa weevils feeding.

When females are ready to lay eggs, they chew a hole in the stem and deposit from one to 40 eggs. When they hatch, the larvae will feed upon the stem before moving to fresh buds and leaves. After the larval stage, they make silky cocoons that, if the infestation is widespread, can be visible as a white haze over the field.

“People often first notice this driving by their field and see the crop is looking kind of frosted,” Gavloski says. “If you see this, you’ve probably got lots of feeding, and you probably should have been in there earlier.”

As a general guideline, he recommends scouting for the bugs in early June and continuing weekly checks.

“They should be hatching out by then,” Gavloski says. “You should be on top of things before it gets too bad.”

Economic thresholds: Alfalfa weevils cause significant damage, particularly to young alfalfa crops. The general action threshold for larvae varies based on crop height. For hay crops under 30 cm, the threshold is one larva per stem. For crops between 30 and 40 cm, it’s two larvae per stem. If three larvae per stem are found, control measures are generally needed.

Control methods: For hay crops, cutting the plants early is the main strategy used to control the insects because the larvae will starve or desiccate after cutting. Several insecticides are available for use, but many only provide partial suppression.

“Our insecticides don’t always work well for alfalfa weevil,” Gavloski says.

Natural predators, such as parasitoid wasps (bathyplectes and oomyzus), can help control alfalfa weevil populations. These predators can sometimes reduce the need for chemical control.

Lygus bugs

Gavloski also touched on lygus bugs. They are primarily a concern for alfalfa seed producers rather than forage growers. Lygus bugs are sap-feeding insects that use their beaks, like mosquitoes, to inject enzymes into plant tissues and suck up the sap. They target nitrogen-rich growth, damaging buds, seeds and flowers.

While there are suggested economic thresholds for control of the bugs in seed alfalfa, and insecticides are available, control is not recommended for alfalfa grown for hay.

The post What insect pests are bugging your forage crops? appeared first on Grainews.

But as of the middle of December, potential profits from growing grains, oilseeds and pulses are looking grim in Western Canada.

“Costs have come down a little bit in 2025, but they’re still really high. And crop prices have gone down faster than our crop input (costs),” says Darren Bond, a farm management specialist with Manitoba Agriculture.

“We’ve seen this before in farming, but I’m not sure we’ve seen it so quickly.”

Every year, farm management experts with the province assemble a cost of production guide for crops.

An early version of the guide was available at the Manitoba Agronomists’ Conference, held Dec. 11-12 in Winnipeg.

Bond went through some of the numbers while speaking at the conference. The estimates show profits will be elusive in 2025 — especially for farmers with higher land costs.

“We do (analyze) 16 crops. We only have one crop showing profit after it has been fully costed, which is pinto beans,” Bond says.

“Fully costed” means the operating costs of producing a crop, along with land, machinery and labour costs.

Operating costs have dropped compared to 2024, but the prices of inputs are still relatively high.

Bond warned growers about this “lag” scenario 12 months ago.

The lag is where prices per bushel for canola, wheat, oats, peas and other crops have declined, but inputs such as fertilizer haven’t dropped an equivalent amount.

During his talk, Bond pointed to a fertilizer affordability chart.

“How many bushels of grain does it cost to buy one ton of urea?… It’s come down off its highs, but it’s still relatively expensive,” he says.

“That’s not the bad one. Let’s look at phosphate… Considering how much these crop prices have come down, phosphate is super expensive.”

Less canola in 2025

Canola is a good crop to illustrate what farmers are facing in 2025.

Last year, the Manitoba cost of production guide had the following estimates:

• Operating costs for canola — $456 per acre
• Target price — $15.75 per bu.

In 2025, the guide says for canola:

• Operating costs —$418 per acre
• Target price — $13.25 per bu.

The price of canola has dropped by 16 per cent, but operating costs have only declined by eight per cent.

Then, there’s the matter of yield.

For much of the last 15 years, canola has paid the bills for western Canadian farmers.

However, canola yields are getting unpredictable, says Roy Arnott, who oversees the team of farm management specialists with Manitoba Agriculture.

“Canola is becoming less stable. You’ll have one farm that has 35-bushel canola and 50-bu. canola, on the same farm,” he says.

“That stability seems to be (fading) with canola, with challenging conditions. Short canola goes flat. Tall canola goes flat. It’s getting harder to manage canola to get those high yields.”

Given the economic and agronomic realities, some growers may switch to crops that require less fertilizer, have lower seed costs and are easier to manage. In other words: they’ll choose less risk.

“What are we going to do with canola acres in 2025? It’s really tough to know,” Bond says.

“I do see, based on my conversations with farmers, people are going to back off… the canola.”
However, such predictions have been made in the past. Prairie farmers have a history of growing canola, and a lot of it, despite the risks because the oilseed can be highly profitable.

Return on operating costs

Arnott and his team at Manitoba Agriculture have added some features to the 2025 cost of production guide for crops, such as estimates for return on operating costs.

“What are you getting out, for what you’re putting in?… That is new,” Arnott says, explaining it is profitability based solely on the operating costs of producing a crop, such as fertilizer, seed and crop insurance.

“If you look at something like oats, it’s sitting at a 58 per cent return on operating. Canola, right now, is sitting at 43 per cent. Inexpensive crops that still have profit potential are going to look better.”

With costs remaining high and crop prices relatively soft, it’s obvious farmers are in a different era than they were during the good times of 2021-23, Bond says.

“Economics do influence agronomic decisions. Things have changed… so we have to be aware of that,” he says.

“We have to be wise with our investments… I really think this year coming up… if we manage our fertilizer well, we can protect that yield. Protecting the yield is something that’s very important and something I’ll be speaking about this winter.”

The post Expect smaller margins for error in 2025 appeared first on Grainews.

Callum Morrison, a crop production extension specialist for Manitoba Agriculture at Carman and a master’s student at the University of Manitoba, has been working in the cover cropping area of research for years since he started his graduate program in 2019.

At the time, Morrison and his supervising professor, Dr. Yvonne Lawley, created a survey asking questions about cover crops and sent it out to producers. Responses came from 211 producers, from a range of different operations, using cover crops in different ways. In 2020 they sent out another survey, to which 281 farmers from across the Prairies responded.

While conducting these surveys, Morrison looked at two different groups of producers — those who were growing cover crops for grazing, and those who didn’t intend to graze.

Of the people Morrison surveyed, 62 per cent of all respondents had livestock, and 54 per cent had beef cattle.

He went on to say 50 per cent of grazing producers also intended to grow cash crops, compared to a third of respondents who wouldn’t be grazing.

Cover cropping entails growing two or more crops together to cover the soil and improve soil health. Many people who use cover crops for grazing start by intercropping — that is, sowing two different crops together to maximize total yield.

“I think they’re growing for longer throughout the season. So, we’re potentially seeing a bit more biomass and I think there’s more potential for, you know, changes to take place in the soil and such,” says Morrison.

In the survey, common reasons given for grazing cover crops included building soil health and financial gain. Financial gain as a motivation is more common for people in the cropping sector. However, 20 per cent of grazers were motivated by financial gain, as well.

“So really, what that’s telling me is that people are growing cover crops clearly more for environmental reasons at this point, rather than to necessarily see financial gains.”

Diversity

The difference between growing cover crops for grain versus for grazing is clear when looking at the types of plants grown in the cover crop, as well as how many are grown. Morrison says often when a cover crop is grown for grain, there are one or two types of plants in the cover crop, whereas for grazing, there are more frequently five or six crops. This means ranchers are often willing to pay more for their cover crop.

“For farmers that aren’t intending to graze, it’s really pretty simple mixes,” Morrison says. “What we see with those who intend to graze, the most common response was two to three species and the second-most common response is six to seven species. So, what we’re seeing here is really (for) farmers that intend to graze, they seem more likely to select more species, which are more diverse, and potentially willing to pay more for those mixes.”

Though most farmers surveyed say cover crops are helping to improve their soil health and they see an increase in soil organic matter, some also aren’t immediately clear how it benefits them financially — especially graziers who are spending more money on their mixes.

“When everything’s all aggregated together, 47 per cent of our farmers told us that they didn’t know how cover crops were impacting their bottom line. So to me, it’s really too early to say if farmers are seeing financial benefits,” Morrison says.

But the financial benefits become clearer after a producer uses a cover crop for a few years because 88 per cent of grazing respondents who grew cover crops saw positive benefits from the cover crops within the first three years.

“People who responded to our survey who wanted to graze, they seem to be seeing benefits quicker.”

Challenges

While Morrison says not being able to measure financial gain is one of the challenges of cover cropping, he says there are a few other challenges such as the short growing season. This is especially an issue for producers who want to harvest their cover crop instead of grazing it, as Morrison says sometimes producers are forced to graze their cover crops due to the weather.

“Occasionally, something wasn’t managed to be grazed that was in the end, or someone grew it with the intention of grazing but due to circumstances, it wasn’t.”

Other challenges are a lack of equipment, an absence of moisture in the fall and which herbicides to use and when.

Morrison says a large barrier for producers who want to get into cover cropping but don’t know where to start is a lack of information.

“So that kind of gets into, when you look at those who want to try growing cover crops, they say that technical assistance is the number one thing that would help them adopt cover crops.”

Start simple

Although Morrison’s primary focus is on the annual crop side of cover cropping, he says grazing and non-grazing producers need to have the same things in mind when starting to use cover crops; primarily, a goal. Then producers can look into what opportunities they have to integrate cover crops on their farms.

“I think farmers should know that you don’t have to aim for the most complex cover crops. You don’t need to delve right into the deep end. There’s nothing wrong with starting simple and on a small number of your acres.”

He says producers should be flexible and constantly evaluate the work they’re doing on their operations to ensure growing cover crops is still what’s best for their operation. He says sometimes weather, the landscape, or the location can make or break whether cover crops work.

“I think that by starting small, you leave yourself that flexibility,” Morrison says.

“You may have every intention to grow a cover crop or adopt a certain practice. But don’t feel bad that every year will not give you the same opportunity.”

Future of cover crops

When Morrison started his research for his master’s degree, cover cropping wasn’t very common on the Prairies. Now, more and more producers are using it, and there’s funding for cover crop research.

“People’s knowledge that these things exist is a lot more common. There’s a lot more networks now, peer-to-peer farmers learning and talking to one another. So, I’d be interested to see kind of how things have changed.”

He says he’d be interested in doing another survey now to compare to the surveys he did in 2019 and 2020.

For now, Morrison is finishing off his thesis part-time while working full-time for the province. And while he isn’t working in the cover crop area, “I think it’s always something I’m going to be interested in,” he says.

“I want people to know that I think cover crops are a tool to help you achieve things.”

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“I’ve heard good comments from some in the industry that the sunflower crop looks pretty good this year,” Lange said, noting Manitoba yields were estimated at 2,500 to 2,800 pounds per acre.

Earlier this fall, those yields came in at 2,000 to 2,400 lbs./ac., which was better than the forecast for 1,990 from Statistics Canada.

“Before the snow about three weeks ago, we still had a little way to go,” Lange said of the provincial sunflower harvest. “Most parts of the central region were finished up. There was still some to go in the eastern region, up in the Interlake, and the southwest.”

When Manitoba Agriculture published it last crop report of 2023, on Oct. 24, it listed the sunflower harvest at 58 per cent complete provincewide. At that time, 80 per cent of sunflowers in the central region had been combined with 60 per cent each in the eastern and Interlake regions, while 35 per cent was harvested in the southwest.

With decent weather lately for southern Manitoba, Lange placed the sunflower harvest at around 95 per cent complete, the Interlake still somewhat behind.

“They were delayed moreso from other crops. Trying to get some canola off, some of the late cereals, and finishing up the corn,” he said.

Morgan Cott, agronomy extension specialist with the Manitoba Crop Alliance, said some growers might leave part of their sunflower crop in the field over winter, then combine it in the spring.

“They’re dried down enough,” she said, noting at this point it doesn’t matter if the sunflowers are still in the field or stored in grain bins.

“As long there hasn’t been some weird incident where it wasn’t dry enough with the first frost,” Cott added, stating that some moisture in sunflowers during a September frost could lead to issues later.

StatCan in September forecast 77,700 tonnes of sunflowers to be produced in Canada in 2023-24. However, the crop alliance said that could reach upward to 85,000 to 90,000 tonnes, given improved yields.

Manitoba grows nearly all of Canada’s sunflowers, producing 95.6 per cent of Canada’s crop in 2023, with the remainder this year grown in Alberta, according to StatCan.

Total sunflower output in 2022 came in at 84,054 tonnes, a far distance from the record sunflower crop of 217,800 tonnes in 1979.

StatCan is set to publish its survey-based production report on Dec. 4.

— Glen Hallick reports for MarketsFarm from Winnipeg.

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Breanne Tidemann, an Alberta-based researcher with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), says boots on the ground remains one of the most effective strategies when it comes to weed control.

“Don’t rely, especially in the spring, on the 80-kilometre-per-hour drive-by. Get out and get those boots on the ground,” says Tidemann, a weed management specialist who works at AAFC’s Lacombe Research and Development Centre.

“With something like cleavers, it’s notorious for popping up in the spring and being a purplish-brown colour. You’re not going to see that greening up as you drive by, but there could be a lot of cleavers already up and growing. Get out and get boots on the ground … to see what’s truly there. You really need to be tailoring the pre-harvest and post-harvest management decisions to what’s there (in the field).”

Kim Brown-Livingston, a provincial weeds specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, agrees. She says that’s especially true when it comes to evaluating the effectiveness of any kind of in-crop spraying.

“We need to do that post-spray scouting to see if we were successful. Did we miss something? Did anything get away on us? Did some of those perennial weeds start to regrow after an in-crop spray?” she says.

“It’s always important to follow up after any herbicide treatment. You need to be coming back to see how successful you were. You don’t want to waste a herbicide pass. You have to be successful with the herbicides you pick because with growing resistance we can’t be spraying herbicides and (them) not working because that weed is not on the list of weeds it controls.”

BATTLE PLAN FOLLOWUP

Brown-Livingston says having the right battle plan is a critical part of weed control, but following up on that plan is just as important. In some cases, she says, that could mean learning that a second in-crop herbicide isn’t required, which not only saves time and money but also saves that herbicide use for later.

Still, Brown-Livingston says a weed control plan should be adaptable since circumstances in the field can change quickly.

“You can have a battle plan, but you have to be able to adapt and adjust because things change all the time. That’s Mother Nature,” she cautions. “That’s why it’s really important to have that relationship with your agronomist and your retailer. Sometimes things change on the fly. That happened last year when some (fields) were too wet to get into to seed, so seeding plans had to change. You have to be able to adapt.”

RECORD KEEPING

Glyphosate resistance is a growing problem for farmers in Western Canada and elsewhere. As a result, many are now relying on an increasingly intricate blend of products in their tanks for both pre- and post-harvest weed control.

Brown-Livingston says because of this trend, it has become even more important for farmers to keep accurate and detailed records of what herbicides are being used in these mixes.

“We’re doing more tank mixes. We’re rotating through our herbicide groups more frequently. We’re putting a lot more and different products on the same field every year,” she explains.

“That’s great from a herbicide resistance standpoint, but we’ve got to do some really good record keeping then. When we’re looking at growing sensitive crops in that rotation, it’s important to have good record keeping, especially as things get a little more complex and we’re spraying more products in the field more often. It’s becoming crucial as we see more and more herbicides in those mixes.”

SIZING UP THE PROBLEM

Another suggestion Tidemann has for effective pre-harvest weed control is to size up any potential issue accurately. For example, where there is a well-defined patch of weeds, consider the potential effects of combining that section.

“What are you doing to that patch of weeds if you take the combine through it? Chances are you’re going to be spreading it. And chances are, if you have a very defined patch, there’s something about that patch that’s giving it a competitive advantage, whether that’s resistance or late emergence. Those are probably not weed seeds we want to be spreading around the field and making (the problem) bigger,” she says.

“If you have a kochia patch that is solid kochia and really not much grain in there, is it really worth taking that combine through it? Maybe that area should be mowed down. That’s something I highly recommend thinking about. Take the time (to think) about where your weeds are and what you are doing to them if you go through them with a combine.”

Electric weeders are among the more recent innovations in weed control. First, a product is sprayed onto the weeds to increase conductivity followed by an electrical charge to electrocute the weeds. Tidemann says while preliminary results have been promising, timing is important when using the device. It should be used before seed heads mature.

“The idea is not to hit (the weed) when those seeds are fully formed because at that point you’ve already missed that opportunity,” she says. “We don’t know yet if an electrical weeder affects seed viability. We know they can stop weeds from forming, but there’s less work done on the viability of mature seeds hit with an electrical weeder.”

WATER QUALITY

As herbicide mixtures have become more complex, the one constant has been good old H20. That’s why it’s important producers take note of the quality of water they are using in those mixes, says Clark Brenzil, a provincial weed control specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture.

“With glyphosate being a little bit dodgy as far as supply goes and prices being a little higher, you want to get every bit of efficacy out of that application. A good thing to do is to check your water quality (going into the tank),” he explains.

“It’s not about whether the water is clear or murky. What you are looking for is which positively charged ions make up any salts in your spray water because calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese, to some degree, will antagonize glyphosate activity. You want to make sure if you have salts with those ions at a relatively high level, you are counteracting that with ammonium sulfate.

“When glyphosate was relatively cheap, it wasn’t as big of a deal because people would put in a little more glyphosate and that would be fine — it would take care of the problem. But when you are trying to shave the glyphosate rate as close to the (lowest) rate possible, you have to have good water quality,” he adds.

Brenzil suggests growers have water sampled at a local lab that will conduct a broad spectrum ion evaluation, which is also called a hardness test.

Some farmers use a reverse osmosis system to improve water quality. It employs a semi-permeable membrane to remove unwanted dissolved materials. Brenzil says capacity and cost are the most important considerations when determining whether the system is a good fit for a farm operation.

POST-HARVEST CONTROL

Timing is an important consideration for post-harvest weed control. That’s especially true with some perennial weeds like Canada thistle because they require four to six weeks to regrow and be big enough to hit with a post-harvest application, Brenzil says. This can make things difficult in areas that receive an early snowfall, he adds.

“There’s lots of unpredictability when you have post-harvest weed control.”

Brenzil also suggests growers consider the effect lower temperatures can have on the efficacy of some products when used as part of a post-harvest weed control strategy.

“(Cooler temperatures) will limit the activity of some of the more systemic products like glyphosate and Group 2s. In that kind of a situation, you are looking at trying to keep your applications to late September at the latest. Beyond that it starts getting pretty dodgy for overnight temperatures,” he says.

Brown-Livingston says tillage might become a more popular post-harvest weed control option in parts of the Prairies. It involves stimulating weed germination with light tillage and then destroying those weeds.

“We’ve come off of some dry years (in parts of the Prairies) where we didn’t want to do any of that tillage in the fall because we didn’t want to waste any soil moisture,” she says. “We seem to be in a … wetter cycle now, so that makes tillage much more attractive from a weed control standpoint. We’re not as worried about losing that precious soil moisture like we are in dry years.”

Tidemann urges growers to make sure they use a systemic herbicide product as part of their post-harvest weed strategy that will kill the entire plant by spreading though its vascular system.

“You really want to make sure that systemic product gets down into the weed’s roots like the root system of Canada thistle or something like that,” she says.

WALK THE WALK

Tidemann says it’s important to remember that pre- and post-harvest weed management isn’t just about herbicide application. There are other options growers can consider and they shouldn’t be afraid to “think outside the box,” she adds.

However, the best strategy to inform management decisions continues to be boots on the ground.

“We need to do more scouting,” Brown-Livingston explains.

“In the past we were able to get away without having to do that. But times are changing, and we have to make sure we’re doing a lot more boots-on-the-ground scouting, and making sure we know what we’re up against and pick the right products. We have to make sure these products work as best they can. A huge part of that is knowing what our weeds are and what we’re up against.”

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On a crop-by-crop basis, winter wheat saw varied quality across the province, with average yields of around 65 bushels per acre. Fall rye yields were begged at 70 to 90 bu/acre, with slightly elevated levels of ergot over previous years.

Meanwhile, spring wheat yields and quality beat expectations in many cases, with average yields of 60 to 79 bu/acre. Average protein levels were pegged at 13.0 to 15.5 per cent, although some late-harvested fields saw protein downgrades. Barley quality was good, with yields of 60 to 70 bushels per acre.

Oat yields failed to live up to expectations in some cases despite lush crop stands, averaging 120 to 130 bu/acre. Test weights came in at 44 to 48 pounds per bushel, according to the report.

The seeding delays in the spring cut into the corn area in the province, but yields for what was grown came in at 100 to 190 bu/acre with good quality and test weights.

For canola, extreme flea beetle pressure set upon earlier-planted canola crops that struggled to grow through cool, wet soils in early to mid-May, leading to multiple foliar insecticide applications or a very late reseed. Supply chain and manufacturing constraints also prevented a readily available supply of key herbicides in Manitoba, limiting the number of canola acres that could be sprayed (or sprayed twice). Strong winds initiated a widespread lodging event in mid-bloom canola in July, leading to a flat canola crop at harvest across many geographies. Lodged canola may have increased the prevalence of sclerotinia and other diseases in 2022, and led to lower realized yields due to challenging growth and harvest methods. Average canola yields were said to be slightly disappointing to many producers, when crop biomass appeared much better than average. Average yields varied, with a 20 to 60 bu/acre spread across much of the province, and provincial average yield expected to be 42 bu/acre.

The delayed spring benefitted many flax growers, and flax emerged very quickly after being planted into warm, moist soils. Crops appeared thick and uniform in most fields, and producers were pleased with higher average yields than they’ve seen in recent years. Average flax yields varied by region, but provincially averaged between 30 to 35 bu/acre, with many crops yielding above that.

Sunflowers appeared in good condition throughout the growing season, with seeds filling and fewer ‘blanks’ than last year. Sunflowers have been very slow to dry down in the Eastern and Interlake regions due to repeated rains, but yields were reported to be near 2,300 lbs/acre across the province.

For the pulse crops, excess moisture caused drowned-out spots in peas more frequently than in other crops, but average yields remained high, generally between 50 to 60 bu/acre on lighter land, and 70 to 80 bu/acre on heavier ground.

Soybean acreage reduction was noticeable this spring, as many farmers and retailers attempted to reduce planting of long-season crops and varieties in favour of wheat, oats or canola. Adequate heat accumulation and timely rains in August helped produce some excellent soybean yields across the province, where early-season soybeans were yielding between 40 to 50 bu/acre, while long-season soybeans were yielding between 50 to 65 bu/acre, both with good crop quality.

Dry beans performed well in 2022, despite reduced acres due to crop choice shifts, and have had very good yields reported, with many bean classes yielding between 2,000 to 3,000 lbs/acre.

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