Province’s harvest 9% complete
Despite rain delays in some areas, Saskatchewan producers now have nine per cent of the 2016 crop in the bin, with another 21 per cent swathed or ready to straight-combine, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly crop report.
While harvest completion is slightly ahead of the five-year (2011-2015) average of eight per cent for this time of year, it’s spot on the 10-year (2006-2015) average of nine per cent, the report said. This time last year, the harvest was 16 per cent complete, well ahead of the five- and 10-year averages. Producers in the southeast are the furthest advanced with 19 per cent of the crop in the bin, followed by the southwest with 12 per cent of the crop combined. However, harvest is only six per cent complete in the east-central region, four per cent in the westcentral region and three per cent in both the northeast and the northwest.
Of the total crop, 83 per cent of winter wheat, 20 per cent of fall rye, 41 per cent of field peas, 21 per cent of lentils, 10 per cent of barley, five per cent of mustard, four per cent of spring wheat, three per cent of durum and two per cent of canola have been combined. About one-third of the canola and six per cent of mustard have been swathed.
Scattered rain showers fell across the province, with some areas in the northwest, such as Meadow Lake, receiving 119 mm.
However, the majority of the province received little to no rain. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 18 per cent surplus, 78 per cent adequate and four per cent short.
Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as five per cent surplus, 85 per cent adequate, nine per cent short and one per cent very short.
While the rain was helpful in filling out some crops in July, coming this late in August is not helpful to producers trying to get their crops swathed and combined. “At this point, we need the rain to go away,’’ said Daphne Cruise, crop management specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in Moose Jaw. “Producers want the rain to stop.’’
The majority of crop damage this past week was caused by excess moisture, strong winds, lodging and diseases, such as fusarium head blight, sclerotinia and mould.
But Cruise said producers have another couple of months to get their crops off the field and into the bin. “We still have lots of time, if the weather co-operates,” she said.
At this point, we need the rain to go away, DAPHNE CRUISE, crop management specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in Moose Jaw