A combination of rain, snow, freezing temperatures and strong winds rolled through the eastern side of the Canadian prairies over the Victoria Day long weekend, leaving farmers wondering about the fate of their crops and when they’ll be able to resume seeding (or begin re-seeding).
70 to 80 percent of this year’s crop is seeded in southeastern Manitoba — most cereal crops and some canola fields have already emerged. In western Manitoba, where the highest rain and snowfall amounts were reported, up to half the crop is in the ground regionally.
While southern Manitoba was battered by the nasty Colorado low, there have also been reports of frost in other parts of Western Canada. It will likely take a few days or weeks to assess the impact, but in the meantime, here are some resources to check out:
- Will this Crop Recover? Management Decisions for Water Logged Crops
- Canola School: Making the Decision to Reseed Your Canola
- Canola School: Evaluating Frost Damage (& Going Fishing)
- Corn School: Herbicide Decisions Following a Frost
- Seed And Seedling Survival In Flooded Conditions — an article from Manitoba Agriculture on how flooding impacts young crops.
Have a picture that captures the spring storm and its impact on your farm? Send it to us via twitter @realagriculture.
Planting beans can wait a little longer. #plant15 pic.twitter.com/D2lRwNomCk
— Kevin Martens (@kmart_44) May 18, 2015
Maybe get back at it another day #mbweatherprobs pic.twitter.com/OQKL9C7TEb
— AJ Armstrong (@ajarmstrong81) May 18, 2015
Nothing to say here… pic.twitter.com/OvnoZfLHYB
— Scott Perkin (@scottperk1) May 18, 2015
Guess we will bed the cows again #mbweatherprobs #farm365 #WestCanAg pic.twitter.com/qYZ5e11Sfk
— Wade Simpson (@Simps_3) May 18, 2015
Remember, #patienceiskey as proper assessment of spring #frost damage takes time! More info at: http://t.co/OTdWAL2pGO #MAFRD #crop15
— Pamela Jean de R (@pjderoc) May 18, 2015
Here is a before picture of my Cardale wheat on the home 80…stay tuned for an after picture. #monsoon #blizzard pic.twitter.com/VvsviFynia
— Warren McCutcheon (@McCFarms) May 16, 2015
And here is the long awaited after picture……. #flooded #snow #drainingwater15 pic.twitter.com/gijQ8Xr1Mb
— Warren McCutcheon (@McCFarms) May 18, 2015
Dad refuses to shovel! Victoria Day – Arborg, MB 2015 #mbstorm pic.twitter.com/sTYIj4RtHd — Corey Thorsteinson (@Hardcore76) May 18, 2015
@will_bergmann @FarmLifeMB Wheat seeded here yesterday. By 3 p.m. today #LakeManitoba water already 2 miles inland. pic.twitter.com/CTsXPwvJZp
— Sandi Knight (@Sandi_Knight) May 17, 2015
Second truck I have seen blown off #1 #TransCanada east of #BdnMb… High winds! #Westman #MbRoads #mbpoli pic.twitter.com/gI4Aw5ZzZv — Drew Caldwell (@drewcaldwell) May 17, 2015
Meanwhile in southern Manitoba #plant15 has hit a deep freeze #brrr #westcdnag Hope the family gets back at it soon! pic.twitter.com/iPOCDbBXY7
— Karen Hodgson (@k_hodge9) May 18, 2015
Plum River was only 5 feet wide yesterday…….will be checking crops with canoe I guess… pic.twitter.com/YHUiY2kwZP
— Gilbert Sabourin (@gilsab67) May 18, 2015
