Significant seeding progress was made this past week. Thirty-four per cent of the 2015 crop is now seeded, according to the Saskatchewan Agriculture Crop Report. The five-year (2010-2014) average for this time of year is nine per cent seeded.

Producers in the southwest are most advanced, with 61 per cent of the crop seeded. In the southeast, 45 per cent is seeded; the west-central region has 26 per cent seeded; the east-central region 16 per cent, the northeastern region 13 per cent and northwestern region has 31 per cent seeded.

Topsoil moisture conditions on cropland are rated as 10 per cent surplus, 76 per cent adequate and 14 per cent short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as six per cent surplus, 74 per cent adequate, 16 per cent short and four per cent very short. Moisture conditions vary throughout the province.

In parts of the southwestern and west-central regions, some moisture would be beneficial to get crops off to a good start. Some areas in the southeast and in the east-central region, however, still have surplus moisture. Cool weather has resulted in slow emergence of crops. Some farmers have reported frost damage to emerged crops and alfalfa.

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)

Sixteen per cent of the 2015 crop is in the ground. Although seeding is progressing, spotty rain showers over most of the region resulted in short seeding days. Producers are spending time traveling between fields, testing them out to make sure the soil is capable of holding equipment. Seeding ranges from five to 75 per cent complete. Precipitation ranged from nil to 15 mm (Watrous area). A large amount of water is lying in many fields, making road access an issue.

Topsoil moisture conditions on cropland are reported as 22 per cent surplus, 73 per cent adequate and five per cent short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 16 per cent surplus, 75 per cent adequate and nine per cent short. CD 6A is reporting that 34 per cent of cropland has surplus topsoil moisture.

Temperatures dipped well below freezing for some areas, but fortunately, most seeded crops have yet to emerge. Producers are indicating that there has been some frost damage to alfalfa. There are a couple of reports of farmers finishing up last fall’s harvest. Warm weather would be appreciated by all.