Harvest has officially begun across Saskatchewan, with early-seeded crops maturing rapidly amid warm weather and widespread dryness.
Thursday’s weekly provincial crop report showed 1% of the Saskatchewan crop was in the bin as of Monday – most of it in the southwest, where winter cereals and pulse crops are furthest along. Last year at this time, an estimated 2% of the crop was harvested.
An estimated 13% of winter wheat and 7% of the fall rye was harvested as of Monday, along with 1% of the lentils and peas. “Although most producers in the province have not started harvesting, it is their primary focus as they are currently servicing equipment, hauling grain and cleaning bins to prepare,” the report said.
The warm and dry conditions accelerated crop development across the province. In areas that have received sufficient rainfall, crops are progressing normally. However, moisture-stressed crops are maturing ahead of schedule, limiting the potential benefit of any late-season rainfall.
Rainfall in the province this past week was highly variable. While many regions saw little to no precipitation, isolated thunderstorms delivered significant downpours in localized areas. The Old Wives area recorded 132 mm, followed by Vanguard with 119 mm, and Cadillac with 95 mm. Other notable rainfall totals included Dollard (74 mm) and Neidpath (72 mm). However, these were exceptions to the broader trend of dryness.
As a result, topsoil moisture levels have declined across Saskatchewan. Cropland soil moisture was rated 5% surplus, 54% adequate, 33% short, and 8% very short as of Monday, versus 65% adequate, 28% short and 7% very short the previous week.
Minor crop damage was reported over the past week in areas affected by hot, dry weather. Grasshoppers remain a concern, and localized damage from wind and wildlife has also been noted.
The full crop report is available here:
https://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/agriculture-natural-resources-and-industry/agribusiness-farmers-and-ranchers/market-and-trade-statistics/crops-statistics/crop-report
