MarketsFarm — Varying dry conditions are set to take a toll on Manitoba’s pulse crops this year.
Some crops have stunted due to dry conditions throughout the year, said Serena Klippenstein, production specialist with Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers.
Overall, crop conditions are still dependent on the soil type and where they are in the province. The Interlake and the northwest region around Swan River and Roblin have been among the driest areas in the Manitoba, according to Klippenstein.
The next two to three weeks will be critical for the province’s pulses, as precipitation is much needed. If there isn’t rain by then, “that’s it for them,” she said of the crops.
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“Some [crops] are starting to mature early. Their leaves are beginning to turn.”
The pea harvest is underway, as the crop was planted earlier in the year, she said.
Klippenstein has also noticed instances in which Manitoba soybeans flipped their leaves — a defensive measure the plant takes to protect itself from the heat, she said.
— Glen Hallick writes for MarketsFarm, a Glacier FarmMedia division specializing in grain and commodity market analysis and reporting.
