Increased Heat Advances Saskatchewan Crop Development But Lack of Moisture Raises Concerns in Some Regions

Saskatchewan Agriculture reports warmer temperatures over the past week stimulated accelerated crop development but a lack of rainfall in some regions is increasing crop stress and causing concern.Saskatchewan Agriculture released its crop report Thursday for the period from July 9th to 15th.Meghan Rosso, a Crops Extension Specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture says some areas are starting to notice drier conditions.

Quote-Meghan Rosso-Saskatchewan Agriculture:

A week of warmer weather and reduced rainfall has accelerated crop advancement and enabled haying operations to progress throughout the province.With the forecasted heat over the next week many regions are hoping for moisture to help support crop development, reduce crop stress and sustain topsoil moisture conditions.

The recent warmer weather has also allowed for quicker crop development with more crops moving closer to their normal stages of development as compared to previous weeks.As we look to crop damage, producers in the southwest portion of the province along with a few areas in the southeast are reporting minor to moderate crop damage in relation to a lack of moisture occurring within these regions.The increased heat that is forecasted will cause further crop deterioration if moisture is not received.

Additional crop damage throughout the rest of the province over the past week is mainly due to heat, gophers, grasshoppers, hail and wind.As we increase in the heat units we are receiving, that's going to help with crop advancement and move those crops into more normal stages of development.That being said, the increased heat that we are receiving is potentially going to cause some issues with further crop stress in areas that are already experiencing some moisture conditions that have been reduced with the heat and the lack of rainfall in those areas.That might adjust slightly over the coming weeks with the increases in the temperatures that we're seeing as well though.

Rosso acknowledges moisture conditions are variable.She says the southwest is experiencing the drier conditions but moving southeast and more north moisture conditions are closer to adequate.For more visit Farmscape.Ca.