Condition ratings for most Saskatchewan crops eased slightly over the past two weeks but remain strong overall.
The latest weekly crop report on Thursday noted various causes of crop damage in the province, with excess moisture being the most prominent. Ponding means some acres have gone entirely unseeded, the report said, while crops that were planted in other such areas may not be able to recover. “The frequent rainfall and moisture stressed areas are also contributing to leaf disease and root rot development.”
The spring wheat and durum crops were rated 86% and 92% good to excellent as of Monday, both down a single point from the season’s first rating on June 10. At 85% good to excellent, the condition of the oat and barley crops were both down 2 points, while flax fell 5 points to 86% and canola reversed a single point to 77%.
The condition of the lentil crop dropped 3 points to 87% good to excellent, peas fell 6 points to 85%, and chickpeas lost 2 points to 93%. At 79% good to excellent, the condition of the soybean crop was down 4 points from June 10.
On the other hand, the canary crop improved 2 points to 91%, and mustard was up 7 points at 95%.
The report described overall weather conditions across the province this past week as variable, with some regions receiving limited rainfall and others experiencing heavy storms that brought wind, significant downpours over a short period of time and hail resulting in damage to crops, buildings and machinery. Producers continue to assess crops for hail recovery which varies based on the type of crop and its developmental stage, it said
The St. Brieux area received the highest rainfall at 76 mm recorded for the past week followed by the Carnduff area at 70 mm.
Although rainfall increased topsoil moisture in some regions, others experienced a decrease, the report said. Provincially, cropland topsoil moisture was rated as 8% surplus, 83% adequate and 9% short, versus 8% surplus, 90% adequate and 2% short a week earlier.
Meanwhile, cooler temperatures continue to slow crop development, the report said. Spring wheat and oilseed crops are still the furthest behind the normal stages of development for this time of year. Crops in the province's southwest region are the furthest advanced while crops in the central and northern regions are falling further behind in development.
“Warmer temperatures are needed to help crop development progress.”
Southeast:
Producers within the region are continuing with in-crop spray applications as the weather allows and monitoring for insect and disease pressure. Haying operations are just starting within the region. A severe storm moved throughout the region over the past week that caused damage from hail and strong winds. Producers are still assessing the extent of the crop damage and waiting to see which crops are able to recover.
Rain fell throughout much of the region with higher amounts recorded in the Carnduff area at 70 mm and the Langenburg area at 68 mm. Topsoil moisture remains adequate for the region. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 10 per cent surplus, 81 per cent adequate, eight per cent short and one per cent very short.
Rainfall has helped crops progress, but development overall continues to be slow due to the cooler temperatures. Most crops throughout the region have fallen further behind their normal stages of development for this time of year as compared to previous weeks. The furthest behind is oilseed crops at 31 per cent behind the normal stages of development. Perennial forages are the furthest advanced in development at 21 per cent ahead the normal stages of development. Crop conditions are rated mainly as good throughout the region.
Southwest:
In-crop spray applications within the region continue as the weather allows and producers are monitoring for insect and disease pressure. Livestock producers are getting machinery ready with some haying operations just starting within the region. Isolated storms moved throughout the region this week causing overall minor damage to crops from hail and wind with a small area reporting moderate to severe damage within the region.
Rain fell in higher amounts on the east side of the region with the highest rainfall recorded in the Caronport area of 49 mm followed by the Mossbank area at 35 mm. Many areas of the region received less than 10 mm with some areas receiving no rainfall for the past week. Topsoil moisture conditions fell within the region this week due to lack of rainfall in areas. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 79 per cent adequate and 21 per cent short.
Crop development continues to be slow due to the cooler temperatures. The majority of the crops throughout the region have fallen slightly further behind their normal stages of development for this time of year as compared to previous weeks. The furthest behind is oilseed crops at 20 per cent behind the normal stages of development.
East-Central:
Producers within the region are continuing with in-crop spray applications as the weather allows and monitoring for insect and disease pressure. Livestock producers are getting machinery ready with some haying operations just starting within the region. Fence checking continues as cattle are out to pasture. Severe storms moved through the northwest parts of the region this week causing overall minor damage to crops from hail and wind with a few localized areas reporting moderate to severe damage within the region.
Rain fell throughout much of the region with most areas reporting less then 15 mm for the week. Areas along the south portion of the region experienced higher rainfall amounts with the highest amounts recorded in the Ituna area at 50 mm followed by the Goodeve area at 43 mm. Topsoil moisture remains in adequate condition for the region. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as six per cent surplus, 87 per cent adequate and seven per cent short. Crops are continuing to progress slowly due to the cooler temperatures and past rainfall received within the region. Crops throughout the region have fallen slightly further behind their normal stages of development for this time of year as compared to previous weeks. The furthest behind is oilseed crops at 50 per cent behind the normal stages of development.
West-Central:
In-crop spray applications within the region continue as the weather allows and producers are monitoring for insect and disease pressure. Fence checking continues as cattle are out to pasture. Haying operations are just starting within the region with many producers getting machinery ready. A severe storm moved throughout the region over the past week and caused damage from hail and strong winds. Producers are still assessing the extent of damage to crops but overall are reporting minor to moderate crop damage with a few isolated areas reporting severe damage.
Rain was variable throughout the region over the past week with higher rainfall amounts reported in the southeast corner of the region. The Macrorie and Conquest areas reported the highest amounts for the region at 50 mm and 43 mm respectively. Topsoil moisture fell slightly within the region this week. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as two per cent surplus, 95 per cent adequate and three per cent short.
Crop development continues to be slow due to the cooler temperatures. Most crops throughout the region have fallen slightly further behind their normal stages of development for this time of year as compared to previous weeks. The furthest behind is fall cereal crops at 46 per cent behind the normal stages of development and spring cereals and oilseeds which are both reported at 41 per cent behind.
Northeast:
With seeding finishing within the region, producers note that some acres won’t be seeded this year due to the excess moisture. In-crop applications continue when the weather allows but the current moisture conditions are causing challenges with ruts being created in fields from equipment. Producers are monitoring for insect and disease pressure. A severe storm moved throughout the region over the past week that caused significant damage in some areas from hail and strong winds.
The amount of rain varied considerably throughout the region with some areas reporting significant amounts and other areas reporting less than 10 mm for the week. Topsoil moisture remains adequate for the region with a slight reduction in the surplus amount. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 27 per cent surplus and 73 per cent adequate.
Cooler temperatures and excess moisture continue to slow crop development throughout the region. Most crops are showing increases but are still falling behind their normal stages of development for this time of year. The furthest behind is oilseed crops at 51 per cent behind the normal stages of development for this time of year. This is followed closely by fall cereals at 45 per cent and spring cereals at 43 per cent behind their normal stages of development.
Northwest:
A few areas within the region note that the recent rain stopped any further seeding from happening. In-crop applications continue when the weather allows, and producers are monitoring for insect and disease pressure. A severe storm moved throughout the region over the past week and caused significant damage in some areas from hail and strong winds.
Rain fell throughout the region in varying amounts. The highest rainfall recorded fell in the Prince Albert area at 38 mm followed by the North Battleford area at 34 mm. Topsoil moisture remains adequate condition for the region. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 14 per cent surplus, 84 per cent adequate and two per cent short.
Crop development continues to be delayed due to cooler temperatures and excess moisture throughout the region. The majority of crops have fallen further behind their normal stages of development for this time of year as compared to previous weeks. The furthest behind is fall cereal crops at 66 per cent behind the normal stages of development for this time of year. This is followed by annual forages at 54 per cent and oilseeds at 51 per cent behind their normal stages of development.
