NORTHEASTERN CROP REGION — A dry, windy week allowed for tremendous progress to be made throughout the Northeastern Crop Region. Ninety-two per cent of the 2022 crop is now seeded, this is up from 60 per cent last week and slightly behind the five-year average (2017-2021) of 95 per cent for this time of year. There are a few fields that will see their low laying areas go unseeded unless the moisture dries up very quickly.
Very little precipitation was received this past week, the Hudson Bay area received three mm and the Tisdale area 1.8 mm. Soil moisture levels remain good in the region with cropland topsoil moisture being rated as five per cent surplus, 90 per cent adequate and five per cent short. Hay and pasture land is rated as six per cent surplus, 83 per cent adequate and eleven per cent short. Germination and emergence is even in crops throughout the northeast region and crop conditions are good due to adequate moisture conditions and fair weather.
Fifty-five per cent of the spring cereals are emerging and five per cent are tillering. Thirty-seven per cent of canola and mustard is emerging and four per cent is in the seedling stage, 49 per cent of flax is in the seedling stage. Sixty-nine per cent of the pulse crops are emerging and 20 per cent is in the vegetative stage.
The majority of crop damage this week was due to flea beetles, cutworms and strong winds and frost. Most producers were not able to do a pre-seed application of herbicide, so they are now applying in-crop herbicides to get a handle on their weeds, they are also beginning to spray for flea beetles.
Provincial Overview
Over the past week, producers across the Saskatchewan grain belt took advantage of dry weather that allowed for substantial progress with their seeding operations.
Ninety-one per cent of the 2022 crop has been seeded to date across all regions of the province, up from 76 per cent last week and just behind the five-year average (2017-21) of 97 per cent.
While seeding is being reported as 91 per cent complete across the province, it is important to note that there are many acres in east Saskatchewan that may not be seeded this year due to excess moisture and standing water. Some fields in the southwest and west central are being reseeded due to poor emergence and heavy insect damage.
The southwest and west-central are virtually complete with 99 per cent of their crop now seeded, 97 per cent in the northwest, 92 per cent in the northeast, 86 per cent in the southeast and 77 per cent in the east-central.
It was a relatively dry week for most of the province, however the southwest finally received some rain showers that were greatly appreciated and will hopefully improve their crop and pasture conditions. The Consul area received the most rain with 58 mm, the Maple Creek area 20 mm and the Shaunavon and Admiral areas 16 mm. More rain is desperately needed in the west-central and southwest regions. Producers in these regions are becoming anxious about how much longer their crops can survive without moisture. Dry weather allowed for many fields in the east to dry out enough to allow seeding and producers are hopeful that weather will continue to be favourable enough for them to go back out and seed low areas before the seeding window closes.
Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as six per cent surplus, 56 per cent adequate, 24 per cent short and 14 per cent very short. Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as three per cent surplus, 57 per cent adequate, 27 per cent short and 13 per cent very short. Dry conditions in the west are severely deteriorating crops in those regions and moisture is needed soon for both crop and pasture land.
Forty-five per cent of the fall cereal crops are reported as being in the jointing stage and 19 per cent are in the short blade stage, while 49 per cent of the spring cereals are emerging and 20 per cent are tillering. Thirty-eight per cent of the canola is emerging and 15 per cent is in the seedling stage, along with nine per cent of flax being in the seedling stage. Forty-nine per cent of pulse crops are emerging and 29 per cent are in the vegetative stage.
The majority of crop damage this week was due to strong winds, frost, drought, insects (including flea beetles, grasshoppers and cutworms); some farmers are reseeding due to flea beetle and cutworm damage.
Farmers have been busy spraying for weed and insect control, picking rocks, rolling lentil and moving cattle to pasture.
