The latest Saskatchewan Agriculture crop report on Thursday morning provided additional information on last week’s rainfall.

Areas receiving the rain will benefit—-but for dry areas it was too late—if there was much precipitation at all.

The volunteer crop reporter at Eston had 83 millimetres of rain showing on the gauge—-although there were locations in that Eston region which received much more. Next up was Bethune—northwest of Regina—at 74 millimetres. The third most was at Admiral in the southwest with 68 millimetres.

Running through some of the other totals from volunteer crop reporters around the province last week: Lumsden 60 millimetres, Hafford had 58 mm in a localized thunderstorm, Rosthern and Shaunavon 50mm, Big Beaver 46mm, Rosetown 45mm, Netherhill 38mm, Radville and Weyburn 36mm, Mayfair had 36 mm in a thunderstorm, Canora 33mm, Lake Lenore 28mm, Foam Lakee 27mm, Glaslyn 21mm, Melfort 20mm and Outlook 17mm. Looking at the weekly rainfall map, there were only trace amounts of rain in the Meadow Lake, Shellbrook, Smeaton and Hudson Bay areas.

The cooler weather helped to sustain or improve topsoil moisture conditions. Provincially, cropland topsoil moisture is two per cent surplus, 71 per cent adequate, 22 per cent short and five per cent very short. On pastures it is 59 per cent adequate, 30 per cent short and 11 per cent very short. The northwest remains one of the driest in the province with 34 per cent of cropland having adequate topsoil moisture, 42 per cent short and 23 per cent very short. For pastures, its just 18 per cent adequate, 31 per cent short and 51 percent very short.

Matt Struthers is an extension specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture.

Gophers and grasshoppers caused minor to moderate damage.
Rain slowed down haying last week. 59 per cent has been baled or made into silage, 21 per cent cut and 20 per cent still standing.