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Seeding Dates and Yield Information
How early should you plant your crop? In Manitoba, the general rule of thumb appears to be the earlier the better — but not too early, especially with plants susceptible to spring frosts or requiring warm soil for germination.
- Current Research
- Previous Research
Seeding Date Effect on Crop Yields (1989 - 2008)
This figure illustrates the average relative yield (%) reported to MASC during each sowing week for the selected crops grown in Manitoba over a 20-year period. The vertical line roughly represents June 20th, the main seeding deadline for crop insurance eligibility.
Cautionary note: When crops are sown too early, they can be exposed to an increased risk of spring frost. The figure above does not reflect this, but instead the average yields of crops which have completed establishment in the spring (i.e. the last crop), and does not include the yield losses associated with the initial first crop when reseeding occurs. Proper implementation of the above figure requires the interpreter to also consider the likelihood of a particular crop in a particular region having a killing spring frost on a certain date.
To see how various crops respond to seeding date, click a Risk Area (at left) and view the corresponding yield response curves (at right).
Risk Areas (map)
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Cautionary note: When crops are sown too early, they can be exposed to an increased risk of spring frost. The figure above does not reflect this, but instead the average yields of crops which have completed establishment in the spring (i.e. the last crop), and does not include the yield losses associated with the initial first crop when reseeding occurs. Proper implementation of the above figure requires the interpreter to also consider the likelihood of a particular crop in a particular region having a killing spring frost on a certain date.
