YORKTON - There was good harvest progress over the past week, even with shortened days due to heavy fog and dewy mornings delaying producer starts until the early afternoon. Harvest progress has reached 81 per cent just ahead of the five-year average of 76 per cent. Producers are predicting that harvest will be wrapped up in about a week to ten days as long as the weather holds out and no rainfall is received. The majority of crop left to combine is canola and producers are reporting that yields have improved greatly in some areas when compared to last year.
There were only trace amounts of rainfall reported this past week, most moisture came from the early morning fog and dew. While most of the region received greater amounts of precipitation over the growing season than last year, after several weeks without a significant rain, producers have found their fields to be drying up very quickly. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as one per cent surplus, 29 per cent adequate, 50 per cent short and 20 per cent very short. Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as 25 per cent adequate, 52 per cent short and 23 per cent very short.
Yield estimates for the region show a large improvement over last year and many producers are extremely happy with the amount of grain they have in the bin. Hard red spring wheat is estimated to yield 46 bu/ac, durum 40 bu/ac, flax 27 bu/ac, canola 39 bu/ac and lentils 1,361 lb/ac. Hard red spring wheat was also reported to be graded as 72 per cent 1CW, 26 per cent 2CW, one per cent 3CW and one per cent 4CW/feed.
The majority of crop damage this week was due to wind, waterfowl and rain. Some of the crop is coming off tough and being placed into aeration bins or grain dryers.
Farmers are busy combining, harrowing, hauling grain, hauling bales and applying post-harvest herbicides.
