After a June which was disappointingly dry in the southeast, farmers have regained ground in the battle of keeping moisture, as recent rains have proven a big help for fields in the southeast. While the area has lacked a single big, cohesive rain, multiple systems have hit numerous areas to bring back some growing potential to the area.
Southeast agrologist Edgar Hammermeister says most areas have gotten a good helping of moisture so far.
"The weather systems, although they're not hitting the same spots every time, they're well distributed and everybody's getting a good shot of rain. I think hugging the U.S. border, particularly going east of Estevan, there's even been more rain there, where the systems have been a little bit more consistent and heavier."
June was a notable month for moisture as, despite often being the wettest month of the year, Estevan received less than half of what we'd expect to see.
Even if moisture does come in now, Hammermeister says the effects of that heat will be felt.
"We had that heat spell, and for the crops, for the fields that are a lighter texture, like more sand, they would have been held back. There would have been some yield potential lost there, particularly if it was seeded earlier. Just because those soils do not have the water holding capacity compared to a loam or clay loam. So those would have had some trouble.
"Medium textured soils, the loam and clay loams, they probably could have had enough to carry, but it would have been touch and go because the early rains, they were quite spotty, and so we certainly have the opportunity for regionally to have an average crop to even opportunities for above average to some degree."
With thunderstorms being more common this July, some of the other severe weather has also been coming down, with hail reports being mentioned over the last few weeks.
For Hammermeister, the farms he's been chatting with seem to be clear of any serious hail damage.
"I've heard the odd report of hail, but I guess the circles that I talk in have not heard that much. When there has been hail, it's been smaller stones. A system, a few days ago, went through North of Alameda. I'm not quite sure if it started at Lampman, but it went North of Alameda onto through Alida, Storthoek. There are areas where there are some very large stones reported and but I haven't heard the degree of damage."
Hammermeister expects many farmers to begin thinking about harvest soon, with many areas ahving enough moisture to last until the end of the growing season.