WADO Field Day takes place this week Wednesday near Melita, with a complete itinerary of tours starting at 10 am.
Scott Chalmers is the Diversification Specialist for the Westman Agricultural Diversification Organization (WADO) with Manitoba Agriculture. He says the spring and now summer patchy weather systems have certainly affected the crops in the southwest corner of the province, in a variety of different ways.
"At the plot sites we've been very lucky with just continual showers that are significant to do something, but we certainly have fields up in the Reston area, maybe around Pipestone, where they just haven't got the rain, or the soil is too light, and things are really burning up there. But down here in the Melita area, kind of in the Waskada area, we've been lucking out with some nice rain," he adds. "But I know we definitely need more rain; another 2 inches would go a long way and it won't pool. We just don't have any ground moisture left. The crops are just kind of at the end of their rope."
Having more precipitation before harvest would be the last chance while the plants are still in their growing season. "If we don't get rain, crops are just going to go backwards from that point. The cool weather has really been helping us get through this dry spell, and the smoke has helped too as it shades the crop," he adds.
As event organizer, Chalmers says participants will be able to see a wide variety of crops, including hybrid corn varieties, wide row corn with cover crops and corn-soybean intercrop test plots.
Various crop trials include flax see treatment, lupin adaptation, cereal & legume relay trials and annual forage trials. Test plot tours also include variety trials for dry beans, soybeans, mustards, peas, wheat, oats, barley and quinoa.
A free BBQ lunch at noon gives everyone a chance to fuel up and network with other grain producers.
Register begins at 9:30 am at the corner of Hwy 3/83 and Road 15N, east side of Cargill Elevator turn. Look for the large tent!
For more information, and to RSVP please contact Scott Chalmers at 204-522-5415 or email scott.chalmerrs@gov.mb.ca