Heavy Frost Hits Unharvested Fields

REGINA - Sep 6/18 - SNS -- Harvest activity in Saskatchewan slowed during the past week because of cool and damp conditions in many areas, with remaining crops in most areas struck by a killing frost this week.

Record low temperatures for this time of year were recorded in several locations in Saskatchewan as crops were struck by several degrees of frost.

The week started with 39% of all crops grown in the province in the bin, with another 32% swathed or ready to straight-cut. The implication is 29% of the crop was at risk of frost damage. This includes around 4% of the field pea crop, 8% of the lentils, up to 57% of the chickpeas, 94% of Saskatchewan's soybeans, a third of the mustard seed crop and up to 85% of the canaryseed.

This year's harvest is most advanced in the southwestern region, where 60% of the crop is now combined. The southeastern region had 56% combined, the west-central and the east-central regions had 32%. The northeastern region has 14% combined, while the northwestern region had 8% combined.

So far, 83% of the lentils, 86% of the field peas, 53% of mustard, 30% of the chickpeas, 8% of the canaryseed, 97% of the fall rye, 92% of the winter wheat, 49% of the durum, 46% of barley, 28% of spring wheat, 19% of the canola, 26% of the oats, and 5% of flax have been combined. Another 57% of canola, 34% of spring wheat and 11% of the mustard are swathed or ready to straight-cut. Not much progress has been made on soybeans, with harvest progress at 5% combined, similar to the previous week.

Only southwestern Saskatchewan escaped the frost. This region has a relatively high proportion of the chickpea crop, whereas most soybeans are grown in the southeast. many soybean fields in that region and in Manitoba were starting to dry down on their own, but the frost will likely result in green seed in fields once farmers start combining. This is also expected to be an issue with fababean crops in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.