Section Title
Crop Germination and Soil Temperatures
Crop Types
- Whole Farm
Soil temperature is one factor that drives germination and seedling emergence. As we approach seeding in Manitoba, there are a couple of key questions regarding soil temperature that need to be considered:
- What is the soil temperature at your targeted seeding depth?
- When should soil temperature be measured?
The following are the minimum temperatures needed for germination to begin in various crop types. Since germination depends on a variety of other factors, these numbers should be considered approximate. However, if soils are too cold, germination will be delayed and cause uneven or poor emergence.
| Crop | Temperature (°C) |
|---|---|
| Wheat | 4 |
| Barley | 3 |
| Oats | 5 |
| Corn | 10 |
| Canola | 5 |
| Flax | 9 |
| Sunflower | 6 |
| Edible Beans | 10 |
| Peas | 4 |
| Soybeans | 10 |
Information sourced from: North Dakota State University Extension Service, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, and Canola Council of Canada.
To get an accurate measure of soil temperature, targeted seeding depth needs to be considered. Your soil thermometer should be placed at that depth, and two measurements should be taken. The first measurement should be taken in the morning (8 am) and the second in the evening (8 pm). The average of these two readings provides a daily average soil temperature. Take readings over a period of 2-3 days to establish a multi-day average and measure several locations in the field to account for variability.
Soil temperature data for various locations across MB can be found here. This is a great resource for getting a general idea of soil temperatures in your area, but of course, in-field measurements are going to give a better picture of what is happening in your field.
This is Part 3 in a three-part series on managing extremes of moisture. Part 1 focuses on soil properties and definitions and Part 2 focuses on crop selection, pests and fertility. If you haven’t already, we recommend reading Parts 1… Read More
This is Part 2 of a three-part series on managing extremes of moisture. Part 1 focuses on soil properties and definitions. If you haven’t already, we recommend reading Part 1 first. Part 3 focuses on field activities. Read More
This is Part 1 of a three-part series on managing extremes of moisture. Part 2 focuses on crop selection, pests and fertility, and Part 3 focuses on field activities. Read More
Waterhemp and Palmer amaranth are pigweeds in the genus Amaranthus. While more common members of this genus such as redroot pigweed are familiar to Manitoba farmers, waterhemp and Palmer amaranth are new to Western Canada. Not yet identified in Saskatchewan… Read More
In this applied project, these new malting barley varieties were grown in several on-farm trials over a three year period in different locations in Manitoba. The results show that the new varieties perform well in terms of both agronomics (yields)… Read More
Most species of cutworms are generalists, meaning they will feed on many types of crops and wild plants at the seedling stage, if given the opportunity. Cutworms are not often an economical concern, especially in cereal grains due to high… Read More
Lambda-cyhalothrin is a widely used insecticide belonging to the synthetic pyrethroid chemical group (Group 3A). Commonly sold as Matador or Silencer, among others, the lambda-cyhalothrin active ingredient is a broad-spectrum insecticide that is effective on several pests of pulse, corn,… Read More
A common barrier to resistance management is the perception that it is costly and complex. Short-term expenses may include increased inputs, labour and equipment to manage the resistant-prone weeds. Although resistance management practices can increase costs in the short-term, farmers… Read More
Managing wild oats (Avena fatua) has been a challenge for Canadian growers for decades, especially in the Prairie provinces. Wild oats can cause severe yield losses, increased dockage, cleaning costs, and lower grade and quality Read More