The 2024 Manitoba Potato Harvest is Between 15-20% Complete As of September 20th
In the Canadian province of Manitoba, the potato harvest is believed to be between 15 and 20% complete, and on certain farms, it may even have begun.
According to the most recent Manitoba Potato Report, the thunderstorms from September 16–19 provided considerable rain to the province, with the southeast and eastern regions receiving a disproportionate share of the moisture.
“The cumulative precipitation from May 1 to September 15 is still above the 30-year normal, ranging from 103 to 156% of normal in the potato growing areas. The top 0-30 cm soil became generally drier across the province before the rainfall. Supplemental irrigation was needed,” the experts wrote in their report.
In agro-Manitoba, potatoes’ physiological days, or P-days, range from 830 to 900, and the crops are currently in the maturity phase.
The substantial amount of rainfall in the potato districts to the east caused a delay in harvest. High temperatures during the week of September 8–14 have halted harvesting in most of the province.
“There is no report of late blight in Manitoba. ‘Potato early dying’, caused by Verticillium wilt and black dot, is being reported from more fields,” the report concluded.
The third-quarter report from the United Potato Growers of Canada put the province’s 2023 production at a record 1.28m tons, up 8.1% from 2022. It’s a stark contrast to what potato farmers have endured since 2018, when 2,104 hectares were left in the ground due to wet harvest conditions.
