Canada’s Manitoba lifts seasonal nutrient application ban

Canada’s Manitoba producers can now apply fertilizer and manure to their land.

The provincial government announced recently that soil temperatures are sufficiently warm and it is lifting the wintertime restriction on nutrient application.

The province established regulations in 2011 that prohibited farmers from applying fertilizer between Nov. 10 and April 10. The measures were part of broader legislation to protect Manitoba lakes, rivers and streams.

Growers and the Keystone Agricultural Producers opposed the hard deadlines because there are years when it’s possible to apply fertilizer in late November or early April.

The province listened and established a more flexible system based on soil temperatures, the weather forecast and snow cover.

Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship said the April 10 restriction is lifted, but other regulations are still in place.

“All other requirements of the nutrient management regulation and the livestock manure and mortalities management regulation remain in effect, including setback requirements for winter spreading of livestock manure. Nutrients cannot be applied to sensitive lands along waterways or to lands classified as Nutrient Management Zone N4.”