Favourable weather for most of the province allowed producers to continue to make good progress in the field, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Weekly Crop Report.
Fifty-eight per cent of the crop is now in the bin, well ahead of the five-year (2013-2017) average of 37 per cent for this time of year. Twenty-eight per cent of the crop is now swathed or ready to straight-cut.
Rain showers toward the end of the week slowed down field progress, particularly in the eastern and northern regions, where the majority of the rain was recorded.
Harvest is most advanced in the southwest region, where 82 per cent of the crop is now combined. The southeast region has 77 per cent combined, the west-central 53 per cent and the east-central region has 49 per cent combined. The northeast region has 27 per cent combined while the northwest region has 16 per cent combined.
Ninety-six per cent of lentils, 94 per cent of field peas, 73 per cent of durum, 46 per cent of spring wheat, 38 per cent of canola, and 14 per cent of flax and soybeans have now been combined. Sixty per cent of durum is estimated to grade 1CW, while 34 and six per cent is estimated to grade 2CW and 3CW, respectively. Fifty per cent of the pea crop is estimated to fall in the 1 CAN grade, while 46 and four per cent are estimated to grade 2 CAN and 3 CAN, respectively. Forty-six per cent of the lentils are estimated to grade 1 CAN, while 49 and five per cent is predicted to fall in the 2 CAN and 3 CAN category, respectively.
Across the province, topsoil moisture conditions on cropland are rated as 25 per cent adequate, 40 per cent short and 35 per cent very short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 20 per cent adequate, 32 per cent short and 48 per cent very short.
Most areas of the province reported frost. Crop damage varies depending on maturity of the crop and degree of freezing temperatures.
Producers are busy swathing and combining crops.
SaskPower says there were five reported cases of farm machinery contacting electrical equipment in the last week. Producers are reminded to take a moment to identify overhead lines this harvest season. More safety information is available at www.saskpower.com/safety.
A complete, printable version of the Crop Report is available online at www.saskatchewan.ca/crop-report.
Follow the 2018 Crop Report on Twitter at @SKAgriculture.
