SaskAg

REGINA - Jul 11/13 - SNS -- No major concerns were expressed in Saskatchewan Agriculture's weekly Crop Report about the effect recent heavy, localized rainfall events have on had crops.

"Warm weather has helped to advance both crop development and haying progress," the provincial agriculture department said. It added, "Most parts of the province received large amounts of rain last week which has damaged some crops. Hail, wind and insects such as cabbage seedpod weevil have also caused damage in some areas. There have been reports of disease damage in some areas, specifically cereal leaf diseases and root rot."

Across the province, topsoil moisture on crop land is rated as 20 per cent surplus, 78 per cent adequate and two per cent short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 12 per cent surplus, 85 per cent adequate and three per cent short.

The majority of fall cereals are in the heading to dough stages of crop development while most spring cereals are in the jointed to heading stages. The majority of pulse crops are in the vegetative to flowering stages and flax crops are mostly in the seedling to flowering crop stages. Most canola and mustard crops are in the rosette to flowering stages of development.

Southeastern Saskatchewan (Crop District 1 – Carnduff, Estevan, Redvers, Moosomin and Kipling areas; Crop District 2 – Weyburn, Milestone, Moose Jaw, Regina and Qu'Appelle areas; Crop District 3ASE – Radville and Lake Alma areas)

Livestock producers have 15 per cent of the hay crop cut and 10 per cent baled or put into silage. Hay quality at this time is rated as 25 per cent excellent, 67 per cent good and eight per cent fair. Pasture conditions are rated as 44 per cent excellent, 53 per cent good and three per cent fair. Availability of livestock water is reported to be adequate throughout the region.

Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 27 per cent surplus, 70 per cent adequate and three per cent short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 14 per cent surplus, 81 per cent adequate and 5 per cent short. CD 2B is reporting that 48 per cent of the crop land and 34 per cent of hay and pasture lands have surplus moisture at this time.

Almost all areas in the southeast received some rain this week. The Moose Jaw area received 56 mm of rain, the Indian Head area received 33 mm, the Pense area 34 mm, the Wilcox area 28 mm, the Whitewood area 26 mm, the Redvers area 25 mm, the Radville area 23 mm, the Weyburn area 22 mm and the Grenfell area 19 mm. The Redvers area has received the greatest amount of precipitation since April 1 (351 mm).

The majority of crop damage reported this week was from localized flooding, whereas some areas report that rain would be needed to help crops mature. Hail and wind damage to crops was also reported in some areas. Crop damage from insects such as wheat midge, flea beetles, alfalfa weevil, cutworms and grasshoppers; and from diseases such as cereal leaf diseases, sclerotinia, fusarium head blight and ascochyta blight were reported.

Southwestern Saskatchewan (Crop District 3ASW – Coronach, Assiniboia and Ogema areas; Crop District 3AN – Gravelbourg, Mossbank, Mortlach and Central Butte areas; Crop District 3B – Kyle, Swift Current , Shaunavon and Ponteix areas; Crop District 4 – Consul, Maple Creek and Leader areas)

Twenty-five per cent of the hay crop has been cut and 12 per cent has been baled or put into silage. Hay quality at this time is rated as 13 per cent excellent, 60 per cent good, 24 per cent fair and three per cent poor. Crop reporters rate pasture conditions as 31 per cent excellent, 64 per cent good, four per cent fair and one per cent poor. There is adequate livestock water available throughout this region. Topsoil moisture for cropland is rated as six per cent surplus, 92 per cent adequate and two per cent short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as three per cent surplus, 93 per cent adequate and four per cent short.

Large amounts of rainfall was received in the area this week. The Kyle area received 85 mm of rain, the Shaunavon area 79 mm, the Mortlach and Mankota areas 70 mm, the Moose Jaw area 62 mm, the Maple Creek and Cabri areas 58 mm, the Coderre area 54 mm, the Steward Valley area 49 mm, the Cadillac area 48 mm, the Gull Lake area 46 mm the Swift Current area 43 mm, the Mossbank and Webb areas 42 mm, the Eastend area 41 mm and the Rockglen area 39 mm. The Bengough area has received the greatest amount of precipitation since April 1 for both the region and the province (331 mm).

Rain delayed hay cutting and spraying in some areas this week. Most of the crop damage reported in the southwest this week is from localized flooding and hail. There was also a small amount of localized drought, wind and heat damage reported. Insect damage to crops was report from wheat midge, cabbage seedpod weevil and alfalfa weevil. Disease damage to crops this week is from rust, fusarium head blight and ascochyta blight.

East-Central Saskatchewan (Crop District 5 – Melville, Yorkton, Cupar, Kamsack, Foam Lake, Preeceville and Kelvington areas; Crop District 6A – Lumsden, Craik, Watrous and Clavet areas)

Livestock producers in the east-central region have 16 per cent of the hay crop cut and six per cent has been baled or put into silage. Hay quality at this time is rated as 13 per cent excellent, 84 per cent good and three per cent fair. The overall conditions of pasture lands for the east-central are rated as 13 per cent excellent, 74 per cent good and 13 per cent fair. There is adequate livestock water available in this region.

Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 16 per cent surplus, 82 per cent adequate and two per cent short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as nine per cent surplus, 88 per cent adequate and three per cent short. CD 5A is reporting a 20 per cent surplus in cropland topsoil moisture and a 15 per cent surplus in hay and pasture topsoil moisture.

There was rainfall throughout most of the region this past week with the Yorkton area receiving the greatest amount (114 mm). The Kamsack area received 103 mm of rain, the Craik area 60 mm, the Quill Lake area 57 mm, the Rose Valley area 56 mm, the Holdfast area 50 mm, the Kuroki and Foam Lake areas 47 mm, the Rama, Roblin and Elfros areas 46 mm, the Jansen 45 mm, the Saltcoats area 44 mm and the Langenburg, Goodeve and Dufferin areas 40 mm. Since April 1, the Stockholm area has received the greatest amount of precipitation in the region (292 mm).

The rain over the past week has created localized flooding that has damaged crops and delayed haying. Damage from hail and winds were also reported. Crop reporters indicate that cutworms have caused crop damage, and that leaf disease in cereals, powdery mildew in peas and sclerotinia in canola are present and being sprayed for.

The rain and humid conditions over the past week have been ideal for disease development.

West-Central Saskatchewan (Crop Districts 6B – Hanley, Outlook, Loreburn, Saskatoon and Arelee areas; Crop District 7 – Rosetown, Kindersley, Eston, Major, Kerrobert, Macklin, Wilkie and Biggar areas)

Twenty-two per cent of the hay crop has been cut and 11 per cent has been baled or put into silage in the west-central region. Hay quality at this time is rated as 23 per cent excellent, 69 per cent good and 8 per cent fair. Pasture conditions are rated 36 per cent excellent, 58 per cent good and 6 per cent fair. Crop reporters indicate that 96 per cent of livestock have adequate water availability.

Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as eight per cent surplus, 88 per cent adequate and four per cent short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as seven per cent surplus, 89 per cent adequate and four per cent short. CD 7B is indicating that seven per cent of cropland and eight per cent of hay and pasture land is short of moisture.

The west-central had a varying amount of rainfall this last week. The Dismore area received 59 mm of rain this past week, the Outlook area 39 mm, the Hanley area 34 mm, the Rosetown area 28 mm, the Hague area 26 mm, the Biggar area 23 mm and the Darley area 18 mm. Since April 1, the Major area has received the greatest amount of precipitation (227 mm).

The majority of crop damage this week was due to localized flooding, leaf disease in cereals, and sclerotina in canola. Some cutworm damage to crops was also reported.

Many crops are looking lush but many have also been set back by wet weather and disease. Producers are applying fungicides; however, there are reports of fungicide shortages in the region. There has been a delay in haying due to the wet weather.

Northeastern Saskatchewan (Crop District 8 – Hudson Bay, Tisdale, Melfort, Carrot River, Humboldt, Kinistino, Cudworth and Aberdeen areas; Crop District 9AE – Prince Albert, Choiceland and Paddockwood areas)

Livestock producers in the northeastern region have seven per cent of the hay cut and five per cent has been baled or put into silage. Hay quality at this time is rated as 44 per cent excellent and 56 per cent good. Twenty-five per cent of pasture lands are rated as in excellent condition, 64 per cent are rated in good condition and six per cent are rated as in fair condition. There is adequate livestock water available throughout this region.

Topsoil moisture conditions on cropland are rated as 66 per cent surplus and 34 per cent adequate. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 70 per cent surplus and 30 per cent adequate. Excess moisture is prevalent in the northeast with CD's 8A and 9AW reporting more surplus moisture than adequate moisture in both cropland and hay and pasture land.

The region received more rainfall again this past week, with the Star City area reporting 108 mm. The Bruno area received 57 mm, the Codette area 54 mm, the Humboldt area 52 mm, the Melfort area 51 mm, the Lake Lenore and Birch Hills areas 50 mm, the Garrick area 48 mm, the Tisdale area 45 mm and the Avena area 44 mm. The Bruno area has received the greatest amount of precipitation since April 1 (258 mm).

There is a lot of localized flood damage reported again this week as the weather continues to be wet. With the rain, wind damage has also been reported and the moisture condition has been ideal for disease development. Crop Reporters indicate that Fusarium head blight and cereal leaf diseases are causing crop damage in the region. There has been crop damaged reported from grasshoppers. Warm weather is needed for crops to dry and spraying to resume as many field are too wet to access.

Northwestern Saskatchewan (Crop District 9AW – Shellbrook, North Battleford, Big River and Hafford areas; Crop District 9B – Meadow Lake, Turtleford, Pierceland, Maidstone and Lloydminster areas)

Eleven per cent of the hay has been cut and two per cent has been put into bales or silage. The quality of the hay is 43 per cent excellent and 57 per cent good at this time.

Pasture conditions are rated as 34 per cent excellent, 63 per cent good and 3 per cent fair. There is adequate livestock water throughout the region. Topsoil moisture conditions on cropland are rated as 11 per cent surplus and 89 per cent adequate. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as seven per cent surplus, 92 per cent adequate and one per cent short.

Most of the region received rainfall again this week with the Meadow Lake area reporting 103 mm. The Rapid View area received 67 mm of rain, the North Battleford area 40 mm, the St. Walburg area 29 mm, the Dorintosh, Barthel and Rabbit Lake areas 14 mm and the Pierceland and Duck Lake areas 13 mm. Since April 1, the Meadow Lake area has received the greatest amount of precipitation (269 mm).

Localized flooding and wind damage to crops was reported again this week for the northeast. Grasshopper damage was noted in many different areas as well as some reports of cutworm damage. There are reports of yellowing crops in many areas from root rot. Warm weather is needed for producers to hay and finishing spraying their crops.

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