SASKATCHEWAN AGRICULTURE CROP REPORT — Producers made the most of the hot dry weather by harvesting as much as possible before thunder and rainstorms rolled through the province on the weekend, and harvest progress is now sitting at five per cent, just behind the five-year average (2017-2021) of eight per cent.
The southwest is leading harvest with 17 per cent of their crop now in the bin, followed by the west-central with eight per cent. Some producers in the southeast have begun harvesting earlier seeded crops that matured and they now have two percent of their crop in the bin. The East central region has one per cent of their crop harvested and the northern regions have not yet started harvest operations on a large scale. Producers in the southwest and west-central are reporting that they are seeing yields well below average.
Thirty-six per cent of the winter wheat, 22 per cent of the fall rye, 16 per cent of the field peas, 24 per cent of the lentils and two per cent of canola has been combined. Many fields have been swathed and are close to being ready to be combined.
There was precipitation in every region this past week with multiple storms bringing rain, hail and wind. The most rain received this week was in the Humboldt area where one crop reporter recorded 83 mm. The Broadview area received 65 mm, the Vanguard area 30 mm, the Saltcoats area 49 mm and the Conquest and Dinsmore areas received between 1 mm to 6 mm. Many producers in Crop District 6B (the Saskatoon-Outlook region) have received less than 150 mm (six inches) of rain this growing season and their crops, pastures and hay land have been impacted similarly to last year. There are water shortages across the southwest and west-central, resulting in many producers hauling water and continually testing the water quality of dugouts used for livestock.
Southeastern Saskatchewan
Crop District 1 – Carnduff, Estevan, Redvers, Moosomin and Kipling areas;
Crop District 2 – Weyburn, Milestone, Moose Jaw, Regina and Qu'Appelle areas;
Crop District 3ASE – Radville, Minton and Lake Alma areas
Producers saw their crops begin to ripen more rapidly after receiving hot, dry weather this past week. The weather also made for good harvesting conditions with more producers getting into their fields this week to combine or swath. Harvest progress for the region sits at six per cent, well behind of the five-year average of 20 per cent. Crops in the region have been delayed due to late seeding dates and more regular rains throughout the growing season. Where adequate rainfall was received, crops look very good and producers are very happy with their estimated crop yields.
13 per cent of the winter wheat, 36 per cent of the field peas, 24 per cent of the lentils, 14 per cent of the barley and five per cent of the oats have been combined so far across the region. Once crops are fully mature, harvest will progress quickly for producers in this region as long the weather stays favourable.
Very little rain fell in the southeast this past week, with most areas of the region receiving trace amounts up to 5 mm. However, the Moosomin area caught the edge of storm and received 18 mm. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as five per cent surplus, 72 per cent adequate, 21 per cent short and two per cent very short. Hay and pasture land is rated as nine per cent surplus, 68 per cent adequate, 21 per cent short and two per cent very short.
Pasture conditions in the region are rated as eleven per cent excellent, 62 per cent good, 22 per cent fair, three per cent poor and two per cent very poor. Pastures have largely improved in the region which has relieved a large amount of stress on livestock and livestock producers, who did not have to worry about hauling feed and water to cattle.
The majority of crop damage this week was due to grasshoppers and flea beetles. Grasshoppers have been a large concern for many producers all season long and producers are still considering pesticide applications while waiting for their crop to ripen.
Southwestern Saskatchewan
Crop District 3ASW – Coronach, Assiniboia and Ogema areas;
Crop District 3AN – Gravelbourg, Mossbank, Mortlach and Central Butte areas;
Crop District 3B – Kyle, Swift Current, Shaunavon and Ponteix areas;
Crop District 4 – Consul, Maple Creek and Leader areas
Hot, dry weather allowed for great harvest progress and further crop maturity across the southwest region this past week. Producers have made short work of their winter cereals and pulse crops before they move onto their durum, spring wheat and canola crops. The regional harvest progress is now at 45 per cent, well ahead the five-year average of 29 per cent. Unfortunately, many producers in the region are reporting they are seeing far below average yields in areas that struggled with drought conditions once again this year.
63 per cent of the fall rye, 76 per cent of the field peas, 63 per cent of the lentils, 45 per cent of the barley, 31 per cent of the oats, 45 per cent of the durum, 32 per cent of the spring wheat and 17 per cent of the canola is now combined. An additional 14 per cent of the canola has been swathed or is ready to straight-cut.
The southwest region received very little rain this past week and remains extremely dry, as it has all season long. Producers hope once harvest is over that they will receive a long gentle rain that will soak in to recharge the soil moisture. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 26 per cent adequate, 28 per cent short and 46 per cent very short. Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as 24 per cent adequate, 31 per cent short and 45 per cent very short.
Pasture conditions in the region are rated as seven per cent good, 27 per cent fair, 29 per cent poor and 37 per cent very poor. Pastures have once again suffered through extremely poor growing conditions this year. There are already concerns about availability of feed for livestock during the winter and some producers have started acquiring hay from as far away as Manitoba to ensure they have enough for their animals.
The majority of crop damage this week was due to lack of moisture, wind and grasshoppers. Producers are hoping to finish up harvest as fast as they can in order to save their crops from any further damage.
Farmers are busy moving bales, swathing, combining, hauling water and making room in their bins for harvested crop.
East-Central Saskatchewan
Crop District 5 – Melville, Yorkton, Cupar, Kamsack, Foam Lake, Preeceville and Kelvington areas;
Crop District 6A – Lumsden, Craik, Watrous and Clavet areas
Harvest progress within the region is mainly from Crop District 6A where crops are slightly further ahead than the rest of the region, with most crops in other areas of the region still 1-2 weeks away from being ready. Harvest progress for the region is at four percent, almost half the five-year average (2017-2021) of nine per cent. Twenty-seven per cent of the lentils, 17 per cent of the field peas, seven per cent of the barley, four per cent of the durum and three per cent of the spring wheat is now harvested.
The east-central region received the most rain this week as a couple of localized storms passed through the area. The Yorkton area received 36 mm, while the Wadena and Foam Lake areas received 26 mm, many other areas of the region received anywhere between nil to 10 mm. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as two per cent surplus, 74 per cent adequate, 22 per cent short and two per cent very short. Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as four per cent surplus, 68 per cent adequate, 22 per cent short and six per cent very short.
Pasture conditions in the region are rated as twelve per cent excellent, 47 per cent good, 29 per cent fair and twelve per cent poor. Consistent precipitation since April 1st has allowed pastures to greatly improve and many livestock producers no longer are concerned about how long their cattle will be able to graze before being pulled off for winter.
The majority of crop damage this week was due to minor hail storms, wind and grasshoppers. Grasshoppers are mainly a concern in Crop District 6A where conditions are drier than the more eastern parts of the region, producers hope that their crop is not too badly damaged before they are able to harvest.
West-Central Saskatchewan
Crop Districts 6B – Hanley, Outlook, Loreburn, Saskatoon and Arelee areas;
Crop District 7A – Rosetown, Kindersley, Eston, Major;
Crop District 7B - Kerrobert, Macklin, Wilkie and Biggar areas
19 per cent of the crop is now combined ahead of the five-year average (2017-2021) of 13 per cent. Areas that saw semi-regular rains are reporting yields above or closer to average, whereas areas that missed those rains are reporting very poor yields. Many producers are predicting a quick harvest if the weather remains hot and dry. A large, substantial rain will be needed across the region after the completion of harvest.
57 per cent of the lentils, 56 per cent of the field peas, four per cent of the oats, 14 per cent of the barley, 11 per cent of the spring wheat, five per cent of the durum and five per cent of the canola has been combined.
Very little rainfall fell in the region this past week which made for good harvesting conditions, but also further deteriorated the soil moisture rating for the region. The only mentionable rainfall was in the Eyebrow area where 28 mm was received. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 34 per cent adequate, 39 per cent short and 27 per cent very short. Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as 35 per cent adequate, 35 per cent short and 30 per cent very short. Many producers in the region report they are no better off than they were last year, and they desperately need rain this fall to replenish the moisture in their field for next year’s crop.
Pasture conditions in the region are rated as four per cent excellent, eight per cent good, 38 per cent fair, 33 per cent poor and 17 per cent very poor. Most pastures in the region have not improved from last year’s drought and have not been able to sustain cattle without supplemental feeding and water hauling. Producers have been hauling water for many weeks now and some who had very low hay yields have started sourcing alternative sources of feed for the winter.
The majority of crop damage this week was due to drought stress prematurely drying down pasture and haylands. The abundance of grasshoppers in the region continue to cause a large amount of damage to most crops. Sawfly have also become a problem in the region as producers have discovered the pest in their wheat crops. Some producers are seeing large portions of their field affected while others only have minor damage.
Farmers are busy hauling bales, moving cattle closer to home, hauling water and continuing to swath and combine crops.
Northeastern Saskatchewan
Crop District 8 – Hudson Bay, Tisdale, Melfort, Carrot River, Humboldt, Kinistino, Cudworth and Aberdeen areas;
Crop District 9AE – Prince Albert, Choiceland and Paddockwood areas
Crops are getting closer to maturity with many crops just a week or so away from being harvestable, some later seeded crops will need more time and producers are worried they will be hit with frost before they are fully ripe leading to quality and yield issues. One per cent of the crop in the northeast region has been harvested which is well behind of the five-year average (2017-2022) for this time of year of seven per cent. The region needs more hot, dry weather to allow crops to mature and dry down. Most producers have their equipment ready and will be working around the clock to advance harvest once crops are ready. Harvest that has taken place has mainly been in field pea and barley crops.
The Hudson Bay area received 22 mm of rain over the past week while the rest of the region saw insignificant amounts of rain. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 84 per cent adequate and 16 per cent short. Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as 78 per cent adequate and 22 per cent short. Pasture conditions in the region are rated as 10 per cent excellent, 68 per cent good, 21 per cent fair and one per cent poor.
Crop damage was minor this week with most being attributed to wind that led to lodging in some taller or thicker crops. Some cereal crops are suffering from disease, and this will lead to rejected or downgraded grain at the elevators.
Northwestern Saskatchewan
Crop District 9AW – Shellbrook, North Battleford, Big River and Hafford areas;
Crop District 9B – Meadow Lake, Turtleford, Pierceland, Maidstone and Lloydminster areas
Another hot week has allowed many crops in the region to begin to dry down and get ready for harvest, producers have been busy spraying desiccants and swathing but very little combining has been done so far. Harvest progress has reached one per cent of the crop now combined in the region, just behind the five-year average (2017-2021) of four per cent for this time of year.
There was very little rainfall this past week. Producers are happy to see it remain dry for the time being but would like to see the rains return once harvest is complete. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as one per cent surplus, 70 per cent adequate and 29 per cent short. Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as 53 per cent adequate, 45 per cent short and two per cent very short. Pasture conditions in the region are rated as one per cent excellent, 50 per cent good, 37 per cent fair and twelve per cent poor.
The majority of crop damage this week was due to heat stress after a week of hot weather. Disease is another large contributor to crop damage in the region with fusarium being found in cereal crops and sclerotinia in canola. There have also been a few reports of minor pressure from lygus and diamondback moths.
— Submitted by Saskatchewan Agriculture
