Based on soil conditions and weather forecasts, Manitoba Conservation and Climate issued a variance on winter application of nutrients. Producers could begin applying nutrients as of 12:01 a.m. March 23, 2021.  
However, producers must first assess current weather conditions and periodically check weather forecasts when applying nutrients before April 11. Farmers should not apply nutrients in instances where the weather outlook is unfavourable and forecasts are for snow or and result in runoff. 
Producers should keep biosecurity at the top of their minds during manure application. Keep asking where manure applicators were before coming to their site and biosecurity protocols taken. Also, ensure all farm staff are aware of when the farm intends to apply the manure. 
Grant Melnychuk manager, of planning and sustainable development, said the Manitoba government typically prohibits spreading nutrients on soils between November 11 and April 11 each year. However, when weather and soil conditions permit, the water management group of the Department of Agriculture and Resource Development will meet with stakeholders to get a sense of the lay of the land. Also, the soil and the weather conditions and how things look across the province, and they will consider issuing what’s called a variance to the spring and fall dates. 
He said since the regulation came into effect 2008, only a handful of extensions to the fall dates, based on favourable late, dry falls, no snow outlook or anything like that. This year is the first year the government issued a variance to the spring nutrient application date.  
“We’re upwards of three weeks ahead of schedule. As of 12:01 a.m. March 23, producers could apply nutrients to fields if conditions are favourable on their lands.” 
He gave kudos to the collaborative approach that the water quality management group at Agriculture went about this. Every spring and every fall, they will reach out to the commodity groups and the commercial applicators from across the province. They get a sense of the lay of the land out there, and they use the stakeholder feedback to inform their decisions. And really, it’s an example of government and agricultural industry and commodity groups working well together. In this case, it’
‘s just the way they went about it with a conference call the week before they listened. Some folks on the call in the Riding Mountain area of Northwest Manitoba had a recent snowfall.  
And they said, ‘if there’s a variance, that’s fine. It won’t be suitable for us up here.’ But it was a good example of two-way communication.  
“So just like to get that out there and give credit where credit’s due.” 
Melnychuk said for some folks, the soil conditions are excellent in most parts of the province, but the question is whether the latest bout of cool weather at the time of the interview might slow up the ice break off the manure storages.  
Grain and specials crop farmer Jim Pallister at Portage la Prairie, MB, also used the abnormally dry and palatable soil conditions to get seeding earlier than he could ever remember. He planted over 2500 acres of spring wheat the week of March 23. •
— By Harry Siemens