Pulse Crops Developing Quickly

REGINA - Jul 9/15 - SNS -- Over 80% of Saskatchewan's pulse crops are in the flowering and podding stage, according to the latest weekly crop update from Saskatchewan Agriculture.

"Crops are developing well in most of the province, although many crops in drier areas are short, thin and heading out and/or flowering earlier than normal," the provincial agriculture department said.

Roughly 67% of the fall cereals and 39% spring cereals are in the heading stage, with an additional 31% of the fall cereals in the dough stage. At the same time, 45% of flax, 55% of canola and mustard, and 82% of pulse crops are in the flower to boll/pod stage.

Crop conditions vary throughout the province with the majority of crops in poor to good condition. Grasshoppers and lack of moisture remain significant causes of reported crop damage.

Rainfall this past week ranged from trace amounts to nearly two inches in west-central areas. However, precipitation was spotty and most areas received either no rain or just light showers averaging a third of an inch. As a result, topsoil remains dry. Provincially, topsoil moisture conditions on cropland are rated as 33% adequate, 45% short and 22% very short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 23% adequate, 41% short and 36% very short.