Rainfall Delays Saskatchewan Harvest but Provides Welcome Moisture for Later Season Crops

Saskatchewan Agriculture reports widespread rain over the last week was timely for later seeded crops as they continue to fill but it delayed harvest and some producers are concerned about the potential impact on the quality of the early seeded crops.Saskatchewan Agriculture released its weekly crop report yesterday for the period from August 5th to 11th.

Tyce Masich, a Crops Extension Specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, says the abundance of rain dramatically increased topsoil moisture levels.

Quote-Tyce Masich-Saskatchewan Agriculture:

There's been widespread rainfall all throughout the province this past week which had unique implications for certain crops.The northeast part of the province got the most rain then the west and south areas have gotten just scattered rainfall.Some areas got pretty significant rainfall and others didn't get any at all so it been a mixed bag in those areas.

The rainfall is definitely going to help the later seeded crops as they continue develop pods and fill but it's probably too late for the early seeded crops to really benefit much from the moisture last week.There wasn't much harvest progress made this last week.Last week's report was the first reports we were getting of producers starting harvest and most of them were in the southwest part of the province where it has been drier this year.

With all the rain in the southwest and the rest of the province, they've gotten a lot of moisture which slowed harvest progress this past week.
Most of the crops being taken off right now are winter cereal crops and some early seeded pulse and spring wheat crops as  well.

Masich says a lot of producers are preparing equipment and getting ready for harvest.He says most producers are hoping for warm and dry weather over the next week or two to dry out crops and help them get to maturity.
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