Winter cereal harvest not that far away

The cooler temperatures last week slowed down crop development.

Provincial Pulse Specialist Dennis Lange is the editor of the weekly crop report and says most areas could definitely use a rain.

"You know, I think we're still fairly dry in that central region yet. There's been a few showers have gone through, but still very sporadic here. Generally, though, the crops are still looking okay. Yet I think some of the early cereals that didn't get those rains in central might have a bit more of a struggle. Most crop conditions are fairly good right now, but a lot of areas will need rainfall over the next week or so to help with filling."

He notes winter cereal harvest could begin in ten days or so if the weather stays conducive to drying down the crop.

"Starting with some of the earliest fields on the fall rye, and winter wheat maybe a little bit later than that. Spring wheat cereals right now range from the late milk to dough stages and even seeing some really early fields start to see some color change from the road as well. "

Most of the canola crop ranges from 50% flower to pod filling and the end of flowering on the early seeded fields.

Sunflower fields are mostly in the early bud elongation stage, with a few plants at the R4 growth stage where there beginning to open, while flax crops range from fair to good condition depending on the moisture conditions with plants in late flower.

Field peas are into full pod, Soybeans range from full flower to most fields just beginning to pod while some of the later seeded crops are struggling due to poor topsoil moisture at seeding.

Dry beans are flowering and setting pin pods with fungicide applications beginning on the earliest maturing varieties.