Glacier FarmMedia | MarketsFarm — Dry conditions continued to spur quick seeding progress in Manitoba, as the provincial agriculture department reported spring planting reached 95 per cent complete as of June 3.
That’s 10 points more than where planting was last week and 10 above the five-year average. Also, it’s 12 points more than where farmers were this time last year.
The Manitoba crop report said the province’s east, northwest and Interlake regions have precipitation accumulations of 60 per cent below normal. However, the southwest and central region are upwards to 140 per cent above accumulations.
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Over the last week, Sprague in the province’s southeast corner received the most rain at 4.7 millimetres, far more than the rest of the province. Most other areas had very little to no rain.
Cereals
The report said farmers have finished planting their spring wheat, while oats and barley were at 97 per cent complete. Cereal growth ranged from the two-leaf to five-leaf stage, depending on the crop and when it was planted. Some of the spring wheat was tillering.
As for the winter cereals, the winter wheat was at the flag leaf to boot stage and the fall rye at boot to head emergence.
Corn planting, for grain and silage, was finished and many fields were at the V1 to V2 stage.
Oilseeds
Farmers were still planting their oilseeds, with flax three-quarters finished, canola at 90 per cent, soybeans at 93 per cent and sunflowers just short of completion at 98 per cent. The report said emerged canola ranged from the cotyledon to the five-leaf stage.
Pulses
The province’s field peas were all planted, with the crop at the two to five node stage, while farmers hit 90 per cent sown for their dry beans.
Forages
The report said dairy producers were making their first cut of alfalfa in parts of the Interlake and central regions. However, forages need moisture.
As of June 4, rain is in the weather forecast come the weekend and the latter part of the coming week.