Crop Report

For the Period April 24 to 30, 2018

A cool and late spring has delayed field work across the province. However, seeding has just nicely started in the southern areas. Most other areas have some field activity with harrowing, pre seeding herbicide and fertilizer applications.

Field conditions vary greatly across the province. The southern regions are dry and the northern and eastern regions are dealing with higher field moisture conditions. Topsoil moisture on crop land is rated as six per cent surplus, 64 per cent adequate, 20 per cent short and 10 per cent very short. Topsoil moisture on hay and pasture is rated as three per cent surplus, 63 per cent adequate, 28 per cent short and six per cent very short. High winds are drying up the soil quickly. The soils are slow to warm up and there is still snow and ice in some sloughs and ditches in the north.

Due to a low yielding hay crop in 2017, an extended cold winter, and a slow start up to spring, many livestock producers are feeding alternative feed sources and feed grains, while they wait for the pastures to green up.

Spring runoff in the south was below normal in many areas, leaving some livestock producers looking at how to sustain water supplies throughout the upcoming grazing season.

Rain was recorded in the south and east regions during the past week, ranging from trace amounts to 24 mm in the Big Beaver area.

Winter wheat survival will continue to be monitored as it is too early to make an accurate assessment.

I haven’t posted a crop update in a while but it is nice to see where we are!

For the Period August 29 to September 4, 2017

The relatively warm and dry weather has allowed many producers to continue with harvest operations, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly Crop Report. Forty-five per cent of the crop is now in the bin, well ahead of the five-year (2012-2016) average for this time of year of 28 per cent combined. Twenty-eight per cent of the crop is swathed or ready to straight cut.

Harvest progress is most advanced in the southwest region where 70 per cent of the crop is now combined. The southeast region has 60 per cent combined, the west-central region 44 percent and the east-central region 36 per cent. The northeast region has 12 per cent combined while northwest region has 18 per cent combined.

Ninety-nine per cent of the fall rye and winter wheat, 91 per cent of the lentils, 90 per cent of the field peas, 58 per cent of mustard, 62 per cent of the durum, 51 per cent of barley, 27 per cent of triticale, 38 per cent of spring wheat and 26 per cent of the canola have now been combined. Twenty-four per cent of the oats, 31 per cent of the chickpea, 16 per cent of canary seed and nine per cent of flax have been combined.  Forty-nine per cent of canola and 29 per cent of the spring wheat and mustard have been swathed or ready to straight cut. Not much progress has been made on soybean as harvest progress for this crop remains at 18 per cent combined, similar to the previous week.

The majority of the province received little to no rainfall this past week, with the highest rainfall for the week (56 mm) reported in the Langenburg area. No other area received similar amount of rainfall, as the next highest amount reported was 6 mm in the Nipawin area. The Pierceland area still holds the highest amount of rainfall received in the province since April 1 at 543 mm.

Topsoil moisture conditions remain low. Across the province, topsoil moisture on cropland is rated as 24 per cent adequate, 42 per cent short and 34 per cent very short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 19 per cent adequate, 38 per cent short and 43 per cent very short.

The majority of crop damage this past week is attributed to lack of moisture and strong winds.

Producers are busy combining, desiccating crops and hauling bales and grain.

For the Period June 20 to 26, 2017

Despite the cool and dry conditions experienced so far, the majority of crops are in good to excellent condition, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Weekly Crop Report.

Sixty-five per cent of winter wheat, 54 per cent of fall rye, 70 per cent of spring wheat, 49 per cent of durum, 68 per cent of oats, 64 per cent of barley, 60 per cent of canola, 50 per cent of flax, 63 per cent of lentils, 61 per cent of soybean, 65 per cent of peas, 34 per cent of chickpeas and 26 per cent of mustard are in good to excellent condition.  Approximately 87 per cent of fall cereals, 62 per cent of spring cereals, 55 per cent of oilseed crops and 67 per cent of pulses are at or ahead of their normal stage of development for this time of year.

Precipitation across the province varied widely last week, ranging from negligible amounts to 57 mm in the Nipawin area.  Provincially, topsoil moisture on cropland is rated as six per cent surplus, 61 per cent adequate, 28 per cent short and five per cent very short.  Topsoil moisture on hay land and pasture is rated as five per cent surplus, 53 per cent adequate, 32 per cent short and 10 per cent very short. Many areas, particularly in the south, are in need of rain to help crops, hay and pasture grow.

There were reports of frost in some areas of the south, and producers are assessing the damage.

Haying is underway.  Four per cent of the hay crop is cut and two per cent is baled or ensiled. Haying is furthest advanced in the southwest where 11 per cent of the crop has been cut.  Hay quality is rated as six per cent excellent, 50 per cent good, 34 per cent fair and 10 per cent poor.  Quality is lowest in in the southeast where 21 per cent of the hay is rated as poor, thanks to less-than-ideal growing conditions during most of the spring.

Crop damage this week has been attributed to flooding, frost, wind and insects such as cutworms and alfalfa weevils.  There are also reports of gopher damage to crops. Producers have nearly finished herbicide applications, but progress has been slowed by windy conditions.

Producers are scouting for disease, applying fungicides and cutting hay.

SaskPower has received 29 reports of farm equipment coming in contact with power lines so far in June.  There have been 168 incidents in 2017.