Crop Report August 24, 2008

Nine per cent of the 2008 crop has been combined and a further 19 per cent has been swathed or is ready to be straight combined.  The five-year (2003-2007) average is 22 per cent combined and 23 per cent swathed or ready to straight combine at this time of year.

Harvest operations are most advanced in the southwest, where 20 per cent of the crop has been combined.  Provincially, the winter wheat crop is 51 per cent combined, fall rye is 64 per cent harvested, peas are 47 per cent combined and lentils are 33 per cent combined.  There are reports of lodging, bleaching and staining.

With three per cent of the durum crop combined, crop reporters estimate that 62 per cent will grade No. 1 CWAD and 33 per cent grade No. 2 CWAD.  The 10-year crop report average is 40 per cent 1 CWAD and 29 per cent 2 CWAD.

Topsoil moisture conditions remain similar to last week, with 72 per cent of the crop land and 63 per cent of the hay and pasture land rated as being in an adequate topsoil moisture situation.  Moisture conditions changed most significantly in the northeast, where the amount of land having short moisture increased by double-digit percentage points.   

Crop damage came from grasshoppers, heavy rain, hail, wind and flooding.  Some light, isolated frost damage may have occurred.  

For further information contact:
Terry Bedard, P.Ag.
Agricultural Economist
Policy Branch
Ministry of Agriculture
306-787-5956

South eastern Saskatchewan
(Crop Districts 1, 2, & 3ase)

The south east had mixed conditions during the past week, including heat, rain, and cool nights.  An average of 25 mm of precipitation was reported, ranging from an average low of 13 mm reported in Crop District (CD) 3ase, to an average high of 33 mm, reported in CD 1b.  Wind damage, including lodging, was reported in the Frobisher, Kisbey, Stoughton, Weyburn, Fillmore, and Ceylon areas.  Damage from flooding and heavy rains, including grade losses and lodging, was reported in the Kennedy, Moosomin, Broadview, Weyburn, Montmartre, and Marquis areas.  Heat damage was reported in the Minton area, and pastures have deteriorated.       

Thirteen per cent of the 2008 south eastern crop has been harvested and an additional 21% is lying in the swath or is ready to be straight-combined.  Sixty-nine per cent of the winter wheat, 58% of the fall rye, 45% of the lentils, 60% of the peas, and 20% of the barley have been harvested.

Chickpea yields are expected to be among the highest in the province and mustard and canary seed yields are expected to be among the lowest. 

With 2% of the durum harvested, crop reporters estimated that 22% will fall into the top grade.     

Early canola is ripening very unevenly in the Fillmore area.  In the Broadview area, farmers are getting stuck with swathers.  Some crops have been bleached in the Weyburn area.  In the Montmartre area, the most recent rains came just as a lot of the pea crops were drying up from the previous rain.  Some crops are showing uneven ripening in the Odessa area.  Crops that were damaged by hail in the Indian Head area are going to be late.   

Topsoil moisture conditions on cropland improved last week with 84% of the land rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, compared with 78% last week.  Conditions on hay and pasture land also improved  with 88% of the land rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, compared with 72% the previous week.     

Insect damage this past week came from sawflies (Weyburn, Odessa, Briercrest, Ceylon), grasshoppers (Oxbow, Weyburn, Montmartre, Minton, Ceylon), diamondback moth larvae (Indian Head), and aphids (Indian Head).  Alternaria black spot caused crop damage in the Montmartre area and there was some leaf disease in the Indian Head area.  Geese caused some crop damage in the Odessa area while big game caused damage in the Ceylon area.

South western Saskatchewan
(CDs 3asw, 3an, 3b, & 4)

In the southwest, the past week ranged from warm and dry to windy and showers.  An average of 12 mm of precipitation was reported, ranging from an average low of 3 mm reported in CD 3asw, to an average high of 22 mm reported in CD 4b.  In the town of Burstall there was 70 to 90 mm of rain.  Wind damage, including scattering of swaths and lodging, was reported in the Bengough, Cadillac, Ponteix, Glenbain, Consul, and Maple Creek areas.  Damage from heat and drought was reported in the Lisieux, Rockglen, Glenbain, and Stewart Valley areas.  Hail damage was reported in the Lucky Lake and Richmound areas.  Flooding damage, including grade losses and lodging, was reported in the Rush Lake and Burstall areas.  Shelling and shattering of crops was reported in the Mossbank area.  Bleaching and staining was reported in the Eyebrow area.  Lodging was reported in the Limerick area.                

Twenty-one per cent of the 2008 south western crop has been harvested and a further 18% is lying in the swath or is ready to be straight-combined.  Harvesting progress includes 69% of the winter wheat, 74% of the fall rye, 69% of the peas, 37% of the lentils, 21% of the barley, and 19% of the triticale. 

The south western region is expected to have the highest regional yields for triticale and canary seed, and the lowest regional yields for fall rye, spring wheat, durum, oats, barley, flax, canola, lentils, and peas, and canary seed in the province.

With 4% of the durum harvested, crop reporters estimated that 84% will fall into the top grade.  Peas are expected to be downgraded due to the grasshopper contamination in the harvested grain in the Weyburn area.  In the Ponteix area, some harvested peas and lentils have to be aerated due to the amount of grasshoppers in the harvested crops.  Also in the Ponteix area, the grasshoppers are eating lentils in the swath.  In the Shaunavon area, other than peas and winter wheat, most of the crops are not ready to be harvested.     

The durum is still green in the Viceroy area.  Peas that were estimated to have 100% hail damage in the Limerick areas have re-flowered.  Yields in general are lower than expected in the Hazenmore area.   

Topsoil moisture was reported as adequate on 57% of the crop land, compared with 50% last week.  Conditions also improved on hay and pasture land, with 40% of the land rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, compared with 34% last week.

Grasshoppers damaged crops across the region.  Sawflies damaged crops in the Viceroy, Limerick, and Consul areas.  There are large numbers of flea beetles in the Glenbain area.  Gophers damaged crops in the Bengough, Cadillac, and Webb areas.  Badger hills and gopher holes continue to cause damage to equipment in the Gull Lake area.  Farmers are spraying for ascochyta blight on chickpeas in the Lucky Lake area.

East central Saskatchewan
(Crop Districts 5 & 6a)

The east central region was hot, with some showers and some cool nights last week.  An average of 12 mm of precipitation was reported, ranging from an average low of 3 mm reported in CD 5b to an average high of 16 mm reported in CD 6a.  Some areas in and around RM 190 had up to 100 mm of rain, while up to 75 mm was reported in the Nokomis area.  Wind damage was reported in the Craik, Leroy, and Calder areas.  Damage from flooding and rain, including lodging and staining, was reported in the Calder, Yorkton, Lumsden, Bethune, Holdfast, Nokomis, Jansen, and Young areas.  Heat and drought damage was reported in the Imperial and Leroy areas.  The north part of RM 279 saw more hail this past week.  In the Leroy area, new record highs were set on August 19 and 20, and a new record low was set on the 23^rd.  Light frost on the 23^rd may have caused minor damage in the Leroy and Young areas.             

Five per cent of the 2008 east central crop is off and a further 19% is lying in the swath or is ready to be straight-combined.  Fall crops are furthest ahead with 66% of the fall rye and 37% of the winter wheat crops harvested.   Thirty per cent of the peas, 28% of the lentils, and 18% of the chickpeas have been harvested.

Regional average yields of winter wheat, sunflowers, lentils and peas are expected to be the highest in the province.

With less than one-half of one per cent of the durum harvested, crop reporters estimated that 25% will fall into the top grade.

There are lots of late crops as well as second growth and hail-damaged crops in the Langenburg area.  There is second growth in the Yorkton, Foam Lake, and Kelvington areas.  Some durum has a second growth problem in the Holdfast area.  With the rain, some green peas and green lentils were bleached in the Young area, and there may also be some stained barley.

Topsoil moisture conditions declined, with 79% of the crop land and 78% of the hay and pasture land rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, compared with 87% and 82%, respectively, last week.        

Insect damage came from sawflies (Holdfast), wheat midge (Calder), grasshoppers (Lumsden, Bethune, Imperial), diamondback moth larvae (Quill Lake), and Bertha armyworms (Quill Lake).  Wildlife caused crop damage in the Nokomis area.  

More greenfeed is being made in the Goodeve area to help counterbalance the shortage of hay.

West central Saskatchewan
(Crop Districts 6b & 7)

 The west central region was hot and breezy early this past week and cool later on.  An average of 7 mm of precipitation was reported during the past week, ranging from an average low of 5 mm reported in CDs 6b and 7b, to an average high of 13 mm reported in CD 7a.  Hail damage, including shelling, was reported in the Outlook, Conquest, Dinsmore, Rosetown, Herschel, Biggar, and Unity areas.  Damage estimates ranged from 5 to 100%.  Damage from wind, including lodging, was reported in the Hanley and Major areas.  Heat and drought damage was reported in the Rosetown, Conquest, Arelee, Harris, and Landis areas.  Damage from flooding and rain, including lodging, were reported in the Hanley, Marengo, and Luseland areas.

There was frost on building roofs in the Hanley area on Saturday morning.              

Five per cent of the 2008 west central crop has been harvested, with a further 19% either swathed or ready to straight combine.  Fall crops are furthest ahead with 57% of the fall rye and 54% of the winter wheat crops harvested.   Nineteen per cent of the lentils and 30% of the peas have been harvested.

West central average yields of fall rye are expected to be the highest in the province, while average yields of winter wheat, triticale, sunflowers, and chickpeas are expected to be among the lowest. 

Very little durum has been harvested, and crop reporters estimated that none of that will fall into the top grade.

Topsoil moisture conditions declined this past week.   Sixty-four per cent of the crop land is rated as having adequate topsoil moisture conditions, compared with 68% last week.  Fifty per cent of the hay and pasture land is rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, compared to 69% last week.   

Insect damage came from sawflies (Denzil), diamondback moth larvae (Outlook, Herschel, Battleford), aphids (Conquest), grasshoppers (Rosetown, Harris), and Bertha armyworms (Battleford).  Spraying is underway for diamondback moths in the Battleford area.

North eastern Saskatchewan
(Crop Districts 8 & 9ae)

The north eastern region was generally warm and dry until the end of last week.  An average of 2 mm of precipitation was reported during the past week, with an average high of 5 mm reported in CD 8a.  The lack of rain is causing crop damage in the Melfort area as they have not received any rain since July 23.  The frost in the Lake Lenore area is not expected to cause much damage. 

Four per cent of the 2008 north eastern crop has been combined and a further 22% is swathed or is ready to straight combine.  Fall crops are furthest along with 50% of the fall rye crop and 34% of the winter wheat crop harvested.  Twenty-four per cent of the peas have been combined.

Regional average yields of spring wheat, durum, oats, barley, canola and mustard are expected to be the highest in the province.

Only one or two farmers are harvesting durum and they estimate that 70% will fall into the top grade.

Some crops have uneven growth in the Nipawin area. 

Ratings for topsoil moisture conditions on cropland declined this past week.  Seventy-two per cent of the crop land was rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, compared to 90% last week.  Conditions also declined on hay and pasture land, with 65% of the land rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, compared to 85% last week. 

Bertha armyworms caused crop damage in the Codette, Garrick, and Paddockwood areas, while wheat midge caused crop damage in the Vonda area.  There are quite a few grasshoppers in the Tisdale area, but crop damage is not visible at this time.

North western Saskatchewan
(Crop Districts 9aw & 9b)

The north western region was hot and dry and cool and wet this past week.  An average of 9 mm of precipitation was reported across the region, with an average high of 15 mm reported in CD 9b.  There was some hail damage in the North Battleford area.  Heat and drought caused crop damage in the Duck Lake, North Battleford, and St. Walburg areas.  Friday night was cold enough to blacken cucumber and potato leaves in the Big River area.     

Two per cent of the 2008 north western crop has been combined and a further 10% has been swathed or is ready to straight combine.  Thirteen per cent of the winter wheat and fall rye crops are off, as are 17% of the peas.

Regional average yields of flax are expected to be the highest in the province.

Crop land topsoil moisture conditions improved during the past week.  Seventy-five per cent of the crop land is rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, compared with 69% last week.  Hay and pasture land is rated the same as last week with 64% of the land having adequate topsoil moisture. 

Insect damage came from wheat midge (Borden), Bertha armyworms (Debden), and grasshoppers (North Battleford).  The geese are back in the Pierceland area.   

Some farmers were taking off a second cut of alfalfa in the Debden area.  Due to the rains, a lot of poor quality hay was made in the Barthel area. The generic glyphosphate was hard to find in the Glaslyn area.  There is an additional amount of desiccation taking place in the Meadow Lake area because of second growth in the cereal crops.