BY: Terry Buss – MPSG Production Agronomist – East
Pulse and Soybean Crop Update for Eastern Manitoba for July 8, 2026
Field Peas:
- Crop stages range from late vegetative (V10 or more) to flower bud (V1) and beginning bloom (V2). Growth has been rapid in fields that have not experienced the worst of the June/early July severe weather.
- Producers and agronomists have commenced scouting for pea aphids and are monitoring the development of Mycosphaerella blight in lower crop canopies given the persistent canopy wetness. Fungicide applications are expected to commence shortly.
- In areas of Eastern Manitoba where there continues to be persistent saturated soils, standing water and field flooding, damage to field pea crops has been extensive and extreme. As flood waters recede and saturated soils dry, a host of root rots are setting in to the surviving crop causing plant wilting. Most fields experiencing these severe conditions are unrecoverable.
Soybeans:
- Crop stages for non-reseeded fields range from third or fourth trifoliate (V3 to V4) to beginning bloom (R1). Some fields remain uneven due to delayed emergence because of initial deep seeding and/or variable seeding depths.
- Reseeded fields or areas of fields have emerged and are currently about two to three growth stages behind the rest of the crop. However their development is expected to accelerate in the current growing conditions.
- Second pass herbicide applications are close to complete. Whenever possible over the last two week, growers were applying herbicides whenever presented the opportunity. Ground rigs and spray planes were utilized.
- Persistent saturated soils and standing water have caused some crop losses but are less extensive than with other crops given soybean’s ability to tolerate such conditions. However, increased levels of root rot, damping off and insect damage continue to be observed in the surviving/recovering plants. IDC symptoms continue to be observed in some areas of fields and need to distinguished for generalized crop yellowing because of saturated soils. Generalized crop yellowing and IDC built up over June in the adverse weather conditions but started to reduce in severity towards the end of June and especially in the first week of July.
Field Observations up to July 8, 2026
A Lot of Buzz About Drones
- Over the last week, clients were phoning me to ask whether regulations around using drones to apply pesticides had changed. This caught me off guard and it turns out they had.
- Here’s what changed – On June 10, 2026, the Pesticides Regulatory Directorate (PRD) (formerly the Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency or PMRA) issued a Letter of No Objection, which allows the application of pesticides by drone when the product is already registered for aerial application. The Letter of No Objection is intended to be an interim measure and will apply until the PRD finalizes a policy on drone pesticide application.
- But, if you are considering applying pesticides using a drone, there are licenses and certifications you need to be aware of.
- In Canada, drones weighing more than 250 g (including spray drones) must be registered, and the operator (including farmers even when spraying their own fields) must have a drone pilot certificate from Transport Canada.
- In Manitoba, commercial pesticide applicators must have a pesticide applicator license, but farmers applying pesticides on their own farms are exempt from licensing. Farmers who do custom drone spraying for their neighbors are considered custom applicators and must get a pesticide applicators license.
- Ashley Ammeter – Whole Farm Agronomist at the Manitoba Crop Alliance has published a comprehensive blog post on the topic that I highly recommend everyone in the industry read. Click on the link below:
- I’ve been hearing a lot about spray drones; can I spray pesticides by drone on my farm now? – Manitoba Crop Alliance
Off Target Herbicide Damage Concerns Again
- Over the last week or so as growers returned to soybean fields for a second herbicide pass, some found symptoms of concern in their non-Xtend soybeans. When my phone rang on this topic, I offered the following advice:
- Be merciful. Before you confront the suspected offender (likely your neighbor), reflect on when your herbicides might have visited their fields. Reality is that some herbicide movement between fields and between neighbors happens every year and we all could be called out on the carpet over past sins.
- Do some investigating before you visit the neighbor. Not every twisted leaf or stem is the result of herbicide damage. I often see Rapid Growth Syndrome (RGS) in soybeans get mistaken for herbicide damage. RGS is a weather induced condition. See the image below for a visual reference:
- Remember that group 4 herbicide movement on to non-Xtend Soybeans is usually less damaging to yield if it occurs during vegetative growth stages. Damage during later reproductive stages tends to be where we see the most yield loss. All the calls I was receiving on this topic were for instances that occurred in early June rather than early to mid July.
- If you are pursing the issue and need gold stand evidence, then chemical residue analysis is where you need to go. But, plant samples should be collected as soon as off target movement onto a susceptible crop is suspected (even before symptoms arise) and sent to accredited lab. Bear in mind that some herbicides, such as group 4 products, are rapidly metabolized to undetectable levels by plants. Sampling well after a potential off target incident can render residue testing a wasted effort.
The Consequences of Excess Moisture Showing Up
- After a month of fields in Eastern Manitoba being kept saturated or flooded, the consequences of our severe June weather are showing themselves in soybeans.
- Root rots are showing visible symptoms early this year and especially in low areas of fields and in fields that have suffered persistent multiple stresses.
- In the image above, plants on the right are from water saturated areas of the field (i.e. low areas like field drains) and are showing aggressive root rot symptoms resulting in premature wilting. Notice that these plants also have shredded leaves hinting at past wind or hail damage. Root development is restricted as is nodule development. Contrast this with the plant on the left from the same field that came from a better drained area that likely did not experience hail or wind damage. Root development is advanced and ample and nodule development is progressing well with a sufficient number of nodules already present.
- Remember Manitoba Agricultures Crop Diagnostic Lab when diagnosing these situations. Click on the link below for info:
- Province of Manitoba | agriculture – Crop Diagnostic Services