Cool temperatures and high humidity slowed crop maturity and harvest progress in southeastern Saskatchewan this past week.
Harvest is ongoing, with many pulse crops and some cereals already off the fields.
Recent rainfall has improved topsoil moisture. Cropland is rated 82 per cent adequate, 11 per cent short, three per cent very short and four per cent surplus. Hayland moisture is 78 per cent adequate, 17 per cent short, three per cent very short and two per cent surplus. Pastures are reported at 71 per cent adequate, 22 per cent short, five per cent very short and two per cent surplus.
Producers in the southeast have completed four per cent of harvest. After last week’s rain and humid conditions, many are waiting for better weather before combining resumes in earnest.
So far, 41 per cent of winter wheat and 33 per cent of fall rye are in the bin. Other cereals being harvested include durum at one per cent, oats at two per cent and barley at five per cent. Pulses are also moving, with nine per cent of lentils and 22 per cent of peas combined.
On-farm surface water supplies for livestock are reported as good, with 74 per cent of producers not experiencing shortages. Sixteen per cent say they are facing moderate shortages and 10 per cent anticipate shortages within the next one to two months. Water quality is not considered a concern.
The most significant causes of crop damage last week were grasshoppers and flea beetles. Environmental factors such as hail and wind also caused some lodging, while localized rainfall led to minor to moderate water damage in low-lying areas.