Beet harvesting near Rosetown in 1970's.

Credit: J. C. Fehr

sudden demand. By 1976 wheat acreages in Rhineland surpassed 1920 levels again accounting for almost half of all field crops.

Fig. 32

Field Crops in the R.M. of Rhineland 1961-1976 (acres)

1961

1966

1971

1976

174288

195042 200038

46112

63999

54659

30263

28953

19617

8069

12742

34058

125

187

180

45440

43547

7716

248

977

13564

2277

4454

4189

8869

7363

5851

826

570

2067

Field Crops Wheat

Oats

Barley

Rye

Flax

Rape

Other Mixed Grains Fodder

Potatoes

Source: Census of Canada.

Sunflowers also made a recovery in Rhineland during the 1960's with the introduction of new Russian seeds selected and adapted for Manitoba conditions at the Morden Experimental farm. These new Russian varieties "Peredovik" and "Armavirec" had a high oil content and matured early, re-establishing the sunflower as the primary oil seed crop in the municipality. Sunflower acreage in southern Manitoba stabilized around the 40,000 to 60,000 acres during the 1960's, but in

233

95866 7480 46027

9858 2822 1769 3983 1902