Wild weather highlight of Manitoba growing season

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Frey said once those acres were in, farmers were able to turn their attention back to canola and wheat and other crops. In June, the wet weather came. 

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“We saw some very significant rainfall, almost six inches in Minitonas, almost five inches in the San Clara region. This all came in a very short time frame. Not a lot of time to absorb into the ground and that runoff caused some very widespread damage,” he said. 

Frey said bridges were washed out, and water was running over the roads. A second major rain event happened at the end of June. 

“It really set the tone for the remainder of the season because we had challenges with field access, timing of chemical application on fields in drowned out areas, ongoing weed pressure that really dragged down some crop yields as well,” he said. “In addition to having some of those challenges, we also saw that there was a higher than usual number of unseeded acres.” 

A late-May heat wave pushed temperatures to summer-like levels, with some locations reaching 37 C. Hot weather persisted through much of July, with several communities setting new temperature records. 

On the positive side, pastures benefited from the moisture throughout the season. Another shot of rain caused the harvest to be delayed anywhere from 10 to 20 days. 

Frey said he’s not sure if it’s all due to the unseeded acres, but there was an increase in winter cereals seeded for the 2027 year. He said there has been good emergence in those fields heading into winter. 

It was a difficult summer for Manitoba Agriculture staff who lost a colleague and friend this summer. Manitoba Agriculture Pulse and Soybean Specialist Dennis Lange passed away suddenly at the age of 58. 

“I just wanted to give a final tribute to Dennis as we end the growing season. Many will know him well and remember his decades of service to the agriculture community, specifically to the pulse and soybean growers,” Frey said. “Dennis passed away on July 8 and it was quite a surprise to everybody. He is sorely missed, but definitely not forgotten, especially as we get out there in our planters and put soybeans and peas in the ground.” 

To honour Lange’s commitment to learning and his mentorship of young people and future leaders, the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG) established three $1,000 scholarships that will be known as the Dennis Lange Pulse and Soybean Scholarship.  Two scholarships will be offered at the University of Manitoba, one for a degree program and one for a diploma program, and one will be offered at Assiniboine College.

The awards will be for Manitoba students pursuing post secondary education in agriculture and will recognize students who demonstrate curiosity, integrity, leadership, and a commitment to advancing agriculture in Manitoba.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com