The Saskatchewan harvest is mostly now complete, with canola and flax making up most of the remaining fields still to be combined.
Thursday’s weekly crop report estimated the provincial harvest at 95% done as of Monday, up 4 points on the week and comfortably ahead of the five-year average of 84%. Last year at this time, 90% of the crop was off.
Harvest in the Southwest and West-Central regions is virtually complete with the odd field still left standing, the report said. Things are almost wrapped up in other parts of the province as well, with the Northwest and Southeast regions both at 93% complete, followed by the Northeast at 92% and the East-Central at 90%.
Producers have finished harvesting their cereal and pulse crops and are now waiting for their remaining fields of flax or canola to dry down. The report estimated the canola harvest at 90% complete, and flax at 68% as of Monday. Producers who still have flax standing are hoping for frost to help stop the regrowth that is occurring due to recent rainfall, the report added.
Along with several killing frosts in various parts of the province, last week also brought some welcome showers, with amounts ranging from 30 to 45 mm. “The rain. . . will not completely replenish topsoil moisture levels, but it is a welcome start,” the report said.
Cropland topsoil moisture was rated 23% adequate, 52% short and 25% very short as of Monday, an improvement from 20% adequate, 45% short, and 35% very short a week earlier.
Hot, dry growing conditions, along with some late summer moisture, has resulted in a lower grade rating for Hard Red Spring Wheat, with 57% of the crop grading No. 1, 37% No. 2, and the remainder No. 3. That is lower than in recent years but is still above the 10-year average of 43% No. 1, 32% No. 2 and 16% No. 3.
Southeast:
Harvest progress was slowed this week due to rain and heavy dew mornings. Producers in the region have 93 per cent of their crop in the bin, this is right in line with the five-year average. Producers are hoping that the weather begins to dry up and allow them to finish harvest without any more delays due to moisture, as it could result in lower grain quality.
There was a wide range precipitation received in the region this week with the Broadview area receiving the most at 45 mm while areas like Stoughton only received five mm. Producers are happy to see the rain and would like more to come before freeze up.
Hard Red Spring Wheat was graded as 56 per cent 1CW, 33 per cent 2CW and 11 per cent 3CW. Most of the downgrading was due to bleaching or disease related issues.
Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 29 per cent adequate, 42 per cent short and 29 per cent very short.
Southwest:
Harvest is mostly wrapped up in the southwest with mainly flax being the last crop left to be combined. Producers are waiting for a hard frost, as it will stop any regrowth and force the crop to mature. Producers would like to see a large general rain sweep across the region over the course of a couple days to allow the soil moisture to be recharged and to see their pastures green up before winter.
Grain quality for Hard Red Spring Wheat was rated as 43 per cent 1CW, 44 per cent 2CW and 13 per cent 3CW. Grain quality suffered this year due to excessively dry and hot growing conditions.
There were widespread rain showers in the region last week. Several areas received 10 to 25 mm while the Tyner and Shaunavon areas saw nearly 40 mm. This rain was highly appreciated by producers and is a start to replenishing the large moisture deficit the region is in.
Cropland topsoil moisture is now rated as eleven per cent adequate, 56 per cent short and 33 per cent very short.
East-Central:
Harvest conditions were acceptable across the region until cool damp weather coming into the weekend slowed or halted producers. The region has 90 per cent of their crop in the bin, which is ahead of the five-year average of 82 per cent. Most producers only have canola left to be harvested. Producers are predicting that harvest will be wrapped up in about a week to ten days as long as the weather holds out and no rainfall is received.
Precipitation in the region was mostly contained in the southern and western halves of the region, the Esterhazy area received a range of rainfall from 26 mm to 40 mm while other parts of the region only received four to 13 mm.
Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 42 per cent adequate, 41 per cent short and 17 per cent very short. More frequent rainfall throughout the summer has resulted in Hard Red Spring Wheat grades to be reported as 57 per cent 1CW, 38 per cent 2CW, four per cent 3CW and one per cent 4CW/feed.
West-Central:
Harvest is virtually wrapped up, but there are a few acres of canola or flax still to be combined once the weather improves. Producers who have finished up are now moving into other field work before the snow falls.
Producers received widespread rains this past week, these rains will be very beneficial for the soils, pastures and dugouts across the region. Most of the rainfall in the region ranged from 15 to 30 mm with the lowest amounts received being eight mm. Moisture conditions in the region were desperate all summer long and producers hope for more rain soon.
Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 18 per cent adequate, 59 per cent short and 23 per cent very short. Quality for Hard Red Spring Wheat was rated as 72 per cent 1CW, 24 per cent 2CW, and one per cent 3CW.
Northeast:
Harvest is well ahead in this region, at 92 per cent complete, due to many factors, mainly a much earlier completion of seeding than normal and another dry hot summer forcing crops to mature quickly. Producers are finding their yields are better than expected at the start of harvest.
Like the rest of the province, precipitation was received and while it slowed harvest progress it is also beneficial for the topsoil moisture. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 77 per cent adequate and 23 per cent short.
Due to rainfall throughout August and early September, the region is seeing a lower amount of spring wheat being graded as 1CW. Quality ratings for Hard Red Spring Wheat has been reported as 34 per cent 1CW, 60 per cent 2CW and 10 per cent 3CW.
Northwest:
With 93 per cent of the crop in the bin, producers are nearing the end of the 2023 crop season. A dry spring allowed producers to finish up seeding much earlier than normal has also allowed harvest to be completed at an accelerated pace. However, not much crop was harvested in the past week due to rainy, cool weather making the crop tough and damp.
A wide range of precipitation was reported this past week. Most of the rain received was between ten mm to 20 mm. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 44 per cent adequate, 40 per cent short and 16 per cent very short.
Hard Red Spring Wheat is rated as 65 per cent 1CW, 33 per cent 2CW and two per cent 3CW. Grain quality remains very high in the region, even though precipitation has been higher than other regions in the last portion of the growing season.
