Saskatchewan Harvest Underway Amid Deteriorating Moisture Conditions

Saskatchewan Agriculture reports the first of the winter cereals, pulse crops and grain harvested for feed have started coming off the fields in the southwest, southeast and east-central regions.Saskatchewan Agriculture released its weekly crop report Thursday for the period from July 30th to August 5th. Megan Rosso, a crops extension specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, reports crops continued to rapidly advance with the increased heat and lack of moisture and producers have started taking off winter cereal and pulse crops.

Quote-Megan Rosso-Saskatchewan Agriculture:

Conditions have led to a further decline in yield potential for many crops.Although any moisture received would be too late for advanced crops, producers indicate moisture would still be beneficial for later seeded crops to help with grain fill along with supporting pasture conditions.The heat and dry conditions have brought harvest on quickly in some regions of the province.

Provincially, harvest is now two per cent complete.This does align with the five-year and 10-year averages of two per cent.Harvest progress is led by the southwest region with four per cent complete, followed by one per cent complete for the southeast and east-central regions.In areas that have started harvest, producers have been working on taking off their winter cereals and pulse crops.

Provincially, fall rye is 15 per cent harvested followed by winter wheat at 12 per cent harvested, nine per cent of field peas have been harvested and eight per cent of lentils have been harvested to date.Rainfall was variable over the past week with many areas receiving little to no rainfall and, as we look to topsoil moisture conditions, they have continued to decline over the past week.The lack of moisture and heat continues to be the main cause of crop damage across the province.

Wind, aphids and grasshoppers also caused crop damage over the past week with varying degrees of damage reported across the province.As canola continues to mature, producers are observing sclerotinia stem rot emerging in their fields along with aborted pod development due to the extreme heat encountered during the flowering period.

Rosso says producers in the southwest, southeast and east-central regions will be continuing harvest over the coming week with those in other regions getting started as long the weather cooperates and in areas that are still a few weeks away producers will be getting harvest equipment ready, cleaning bins and hauling grain in preparation.