Virtually No U.S. Seeding Progress
VANCOUVER - May 6/13 - SNS -- Pulse producers in the U.S. midwest made virtually no seeding progress during the past week, with seeding progress for all crops falling far behind normal in most states.
For dry edible beans, North Dakota is the most important producing state; while for peas and lentils Montana and North Dakota have emerged as the two most important producing regions in the United States.
No progress has been reported for beans, peas and lentils in North Dakota, while farmers in Montana have finished seeding 44% of their intended field pea are and 24% of their lentils, with 2% of the peas having emerged. This is behind the recent average of 51% planted for lentils and 53% planted for peas; and well off last year's pace, when 88% of the peas and 86% of the lentils were already in the ground by the first week of May.
Farmers in Montana should make excellent progress in the coming week. The weather outlook for May 13th through May 19th is for above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation east of the Great Divide, reports the USDA field office in Helena Montana.
"West of the Divide can expect above normal temperatures and near normal precipitation. Normal temperatures for this period in Montana are highs in the mid 50s to the upper 60s, with lows in the upper 20s to the lower 40s."
North Dakota Situation Improving
The situation in North Dakota is improving after a week of warmer, drier weather conditions in the southern half of the state allowed many producers to begin fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, North Dakota Field Office.
Towards the middle of the week, producers were able to start preparing fields for seeding and applying fertilizer and pre-plant herbicides. In some areas, producers were able to start seeding small grains. Temperatures across most of the state averaged 6 to 12 degrees below normal.
Crop reporters in North Dakota reported no progress planting pulses. Among key crops in the state, spring wheat growers say they have finished planting 7% of the crop, compared to 80% at this time last year and the recent average of 40%. Oats seeding rated 9% complete, behind 71% last year and 35% average. Canola seeding rated 1% complete, behind last year at 46% and 19% for the five-year average. Corn planting rated 1% complete, behind 52% last year and 25% average.
Manitoba To Start Seeding Soon
In its first crop report of the year, Manitoba Agriculture said, "Warm, dry weather conditions should allow field work and seeding operations to start later this week in several areas of Manitoba."
The provincial agriculture department noted that snowpack in southwestern Manitoba disappeared rapidly over the past week and the only snow remaining is in the tree lines and headlands. Soils have generally absorbed much of the moisture due to lack of frost, the slowmelt and the losses associated with the overnight freezing temperatures. Field work is estimated to start in southern areas of the region by the middle of this week and by this upcoming weekend in northern areas.
Snow accumulations in northwest Manitoba cleared in fields over the past weekend. Fields are just beginning to dry and no field work has begun.
In central Manitoba, warm, sunny weather has melted most of the snow; any that remains is adjacent to shelterbelts or in treed areas. Fertilizer applications will start this week as field conditions allow. Fields are drying with the warm, sunny weather. Field work and seeding should start towards the end of this week, while the majority will start through next week as conditions allow.
In eastern Manitoba, the provincial agriculture departments expects farmers to start working some fields during the week, with field work becoming more general towards the end of the week if the weather holds and good drying conditions persist.
In northern areas of the region, seeding by the end of this week may be possible on the best drained and lightest textured fields. Seeding operations will continue into next week across much of the region if favorable weather conditions hold.
In Manitoba's interlake region, seeding will likely occur in southern areas in the next week to ten days, followed by areas in the North Interlake if warm temperatures continue.
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