Despite rainfall and cool weather producers were able to make some harvest progress this week, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly Crop Report. Eighteen per cent of the crop is now in the bin, up from 11 per cent last week but well behind the five-year (2014-2018) average of 43 per cent for this time of year. Twenty-five per cent of the crop is now swathed or ready to straight-cut. Warm, windy and dry weather is needed for producers to return to the field.
Harvest is most advanced in the southwest region, where 31 per cent of the crop is now combined. The southeast region has 24 per cent combined and the west-central region 18 per cent. The east-central and northeast regions have eight per cent combined while the northwest region has seven per cent.
Read Also
Croptimistic’s SWAT Cam maps one million acres in Western Canada
Croptimistic’s SWAT Cam has mapped more than one million acres, using sprayer-mounted cameras to generate crop and weed maps that support in-season analysis and future management decisions.
Eighty-three per cent of the fall rye, 79 per cent of the winter wheat, 66 per cent of the field peas, 63 per cent of the lentils, 28 per cent of the barley, 10 per cent of the durum, seven per cent of the spring wheat and four per cent of the canola is now in the bin. An additional 36 per cent of the canola is swathed or is ready to straight-cut. Estimated average crop yields for the province are 39 bushels per acre for field peas, 1,452 pounds per acre for lentils, 35 bushels per acre for canola, 23 bushels per acre for flax, 36 bushels per acre for durum, 42 bushels per acre for spring wheat and 66 bushels per acre for barley.
A large portion of the province received rainfall last week, ranging from trace amounts to 51 mm in the Big Beaver area. Across the province, topsoil moisture conditions on cropland are rated as 17 per cent surplus, 75 per cent adequate and eight per cent short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as three per cent surplus, 84 per cent adequate, 11 per cent short and two per cent very short.
Most crop damage this past week was due to localized flooding, strong winds, light frost and hail. There have been some reports of crops bleaching and sprouting in areas with excess moisture.
Farmers are waiting for favorable weather so they can continue with harvest operations.
