Released on July 10, 2014
Warm weather in much of the province has helped with crop development and haying. Livestock producers now have six per cent of the hay crop cut and one per cent baled or put into silage, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly Crop Report.Many producers on the east side of the province continue to deal with localized flooding and saturated fields. Although weather conditions have improved, many crops in these regions have been significantly affected by the excess moisture. Early estimates suggest that between two million to three million acres have been flooded and are unlikely to produce a crop.
Topsoil moisture conditions are improving for many areas. Across the province, topsoil moisture on cropland is rated as 34 per cent surplus, 64 per cent adequate and two per cent short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 25 per cent surplus, 71 per cent adequate, three per cent short and one per cent very short.
The majority of fall cereals are in the shotblade to dough stages of crop development, while most spring cereals are in the tillering to shotblade 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 seedling to flowering stages of development.
Crop damage this week is attributed to excess moisture, localized flooding, hail, wind and insects such as the cabbage seedpod weevil. Root rots and leaf spot diseases have also caused some damage. There is adequate water available for livestock, and pasture conditions are rated as 27 per cent excellent, 62 per cent good, 10 per cent fair and one per cent poor.
Farmers are busy controlling pests and haying.
Follow the 2014 Crop Report on Twitter at @SKAgriculture.
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For more information, contact:
Shannon Friesen
Agriculture
Moose Jaw
Phone: 306-694-3592