Ministry of Agriculture
It was a hot week in Saskatchewan with heavy thunderstorms bringing strong winds and large hail to some regions. Harvest is in full swing in certain areas, while rainfall and humid conditions stalled operations in other areas. Harvest progress continues to lag behind the five and 10-year averages with 12 per cent of the crop off.
The southwest continues to lead harvest progress as 23 per cent of crops are off, followed by the southeast where progress sits at 14 per cent. The east and west-central regions trail behind at 11 per cent and six per cent harvest progress, respectively. Only a few producers in the northern regions have started combining as progress sits at three per cent in the northeast and two per cent in the northwest.
Producers are primarily focused on combining winter cereal and pulse crops. Over half of winter cereals are in the bin with harvest progress for winter wheat at 70 per cent and fall rye at 66 per cent. There was also a notable increase in harvested pulse acres from last week, with 45 per cent of peas and 35 per cent of lentils now complete. Additionally, more producers are starting to harvest their spring cereals with triticale, barley and durum progress sitting at 42 per cent, 17 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively. The first acres of spring wheat, oats and chickpeas are coming off, but progress is minimal at this point.
Provincially, winter wheat grades are 23 per cent 1 Canada Western (CW), 65 per cent 2 CW, 11 per cent 3 CW and one per cent CW Feed. Winter wheat quality this year is lower than the 10-year average of 54 per cent 1 CW, 32 per cent 2 CW, nine per cent 3 CW and five per cent CW Feed. For fall rye, grades are 30 per cent 1 CW, 56 per cent 2 CW, 13 per cent 3 CW and one per cent sample. Like winter wheat, fall rye quality this year is lower than the 10-year average of 52 per cent 1 CW, 39 per cent 2 CW, eight per cent 3 CW and one per cent sample.
Many parts of the province were dry last week which advanced crop maturity and harvest efforts. Thunderstorms brought rain to some areas, including the Nipawin area that had the most rainfall with 42 mm, followed by the North Battleford and Consul areas with 30 mm and 28 mm, respectively. There were plenty of additional areas that received notable rainfall last week.
Despite some rainfall, provincial topsoil moisture levels fell slightly last week, but conditions remain high relative to earlier this growing season. Cropland topsoil levels are currently three per cent surplus, 77 per cent adequate, 18 per cent short and two per cent very short. Hayland topsoil moisture is three per cent surplus, 66 per cent adequate, 27 per cent short and four per cent very short. Lastly, pasture topsoil moisture is three per cent surplus, 60 per cent adequate, 31 per cent short and six per cent very short.
Sufficient rainfall and high soil moisture levels in previous weeks have improved pasture conditions in many areas. Currently, five per cent of pastures are in excellent condition, 43 per cent are good, 38 per cent are fair, 12 per cent are poor and two per cent are in very poor condition.
Bertha armyworm activity in canola crops caused the most crop damage once again this week, but damage was fairly minor and not widespread as many infested fields have been sprayed. Grasshoppers and wildlife also caused minor crop damage in a few pockets of the province. Additionally, there was noticeable damage from strong winds and hail in areas that had thunderstorms. Finally, high temperatures paired with dry conditions caused minor damage to later-seeded crops in a few areas that haven’t reached maturity yet.
Since harvest is getting into full swing, there will be increased farm equipment traffic on public roadways. Drivers are reminded to exercise patience and caution when encountering large equipment on the road. Additionally, farm equipment operating in dry fields can present a fire risk. Producers are encouraged to take safety precautions to mitigate fire risk and ensure harvest efforts are conducted safely.
Harvest can be a stressful time on the farm. The Farm Stress Line provides toll free support at 1-800-667-4442.
Northeastern Saskatchewan
In the northeast region, early seeded crops are starting to be combined, but harvest progress sits at three per cent. Producers are busy spraying crops, swathing and preparing equipment for harvest.
The only crops that have been taken off so far are winter cereals, pulses and barley. Eighty-nine per cent of fall rye and 51 per cent of winter wheat are in the bin. For other crops, 19 per cent of field peas and nine per cent of lentils and barley have been harvested.
Most winter wheat and fall rye crops have graded in the 2 Canada Western (CW) category. For fall rye, three per cent is 1 CW, 90 per cent is 2 CW, four per cent is 3 CW and three per cent is sample. All winter wheat reported in the northeast graded as 2 CW.
Rainfall was variable in the northeast last week. The Nipawin area received the most rain with 42 mm, followed by Torch River with 23 mm, and Aberdeen with 18 mm. With the modest rainfall, topsoil moisture remains similar to last week. For cropland, topsoil moisture is seven per cent surplus, 86 per cent adequate and seven per cent short. Hayland topsoil moisture is seven per cent surplus, 83 per cent adequate and 10 per cent short. Finally, pasture topsoil moisture is four per cent surplus, 84 per cent adequate and 12 per cent short.
Pastures in the northeast are some of the best quality in the province. Currently, 13 per cent of pastures are in excellent condition, 54 per cent are good, 26 per cent are fair and only seven per cent are poor.
Parts of the northeast experienced thunderstorms last week which brought strong winds and hail. There was minor to moderate damage in some crops that experienced these conditions. Additionally, bertha armyworms continue to be a concern in parts of the northeast as producers continue to spray canola crops.
Northwestern Saskatchewan
Harvest is slowly getting underway for some producers as many crops are not quite ready for harvest. Only two per cent of crops in the northwest have been harvested, most of which are winter wheat and pulses. Half of the winter wheat crops have been harvested, while harvest progress for field peas and lentils is reported at 20 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively. Some spring wheat and barley fields are being opened up, but progress in these crops is minimal so far. There are no fall cereal crops to report for the northwest.
Like the northeast, there was modest rainfall in the northwest. The North Battleford area received the most rain with 30 millimetres (mm), followed closely by the Meadow Lake area with 27 mm and Hafford area with 20 mm. Soil moisture levels dropped slightly from last week. Cropland topsoil moisture is now rated as one per cent surplus, 65 per cent adequate, 29 per cent short and five per cent very short. For hayland areas, topsoil moisture is 45 per cent adequate, 41 per cent short and 14 per cent very short. Finally, pasture topsoil moisture is 45 per cent adequate, 41 per cent short and 14 per cent very short.
Pasture conditions vary in the region. Two per cent are in excellent condition, 19 per cent are good, 43 per cent are fair, 26 per cent are poor and 10 per cent are very poor.
Most crop damage reported was from dry conditions, hail, and heavy winds. Some fields experienced varying levels of bertha armyworm and grasshopper damage as well. Despite damage being reported, it was not widespread in the region.
