Farmers in southern Saskatchewan kicked seeding into full gear last week—taking advantage of warmer and drier conditions.
The Saskatchewan Agriculture weekly crop report said seeding was 34 per cent complete in the southwest and 24 per cent in the southeast. Those numbers are well ahead of the other regions: west-central (13 per cent), east-central (8 per cent), northwest (6 per cent) and northeast (1 per cent).
The composite numbers indicate that 16 per cent of the Saskatchewan crop is in the ground, compared to only three per cent one week ago. That is still well behind the ten-year average of 27 per cent.
Most seeded acres are pulse crops, such as field peas and lentils, followed by cereals and oilseed crops that are beginning to make progress. Current seeding progress is as follows:
Pulse crops
- 33 per cent for field peas;
- 32 per cent for lentils; and
- 19 per cent for chickpeas.
Cereal crops
- 29 per cent for durum;
- 23 per cent for triticale;
- 14 per cent for spring wheat and barley;
- Five per cent for canary seed; and
- Three per cent for oats.
Oilseed crops
- Nine per cent for mustard;
- Seven per cent for canola and flax; and
- Two per cent for soybeans
Perennial forages
- 10 per cent.
Overall, rainfall was limited throughout the province over the past week. The highest reported rainfall fell in the Francis, Rosthern and Milden areas at eight millimetres (mm) each. The Carrot River area recorded seven mm and the Arborfield area six mm. A few other areas reported trace to limited rainfall.
