Saskatchewan Agriculture reports spring seeding is underway in some areas of the province while other areas are delayed due to flooding and runoff. Saskatchewan Agriculture released its weekly crop report yesterday for the period from April 28th to May 4th.Kim Stonehouse, a Crops Extension Specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture based in Tisdale, says cold temperatures and wet field conditions have caused delays.
Quote-Kim Stonehouse-Saskatchewan Agriculture:
Seeding is starting to get underway in some areas in Saskatchewan but other areas are definitely delayed due to excess spring runoff.Right now, we're at about three percent of the 2026 crop in the ground.That's behind the five-year average of 12 percent and behind the 10-year average of 13 percent.
Cold temperatures and excessive runoff, frozen soils and washed-out roads are definitely limiting seeding progress but we're hoping that this will change in the coming weeks. Cereal crops, like triticale and durum, are leading the progress in seeding while pulses and oilseeds will be getting underway shortly or have just started.
Cereal crops, about 16 percent of the triticale has been seeded, 10 percent of the durum, four percent of barley, two percent of spring wheat, two percent of oats and one percent of the canary seed. For pulse crops, only six percent of the field peas are in, four percent of lentils and three percent of chic peas.
For oilseed crops three percent of mustard and three percent of canola are in as well as two percent of flax.Perennial forages are lagging behind that a bit.
Only one percent of perennial forages have been seeded to date.Stonehouse says, as temperatures warm up and the ground thaws, the water will either runoff or soak into the ground and begin to dry up so field operations can begin.As we get further into seeding and spraying, he says encourages farmers to stay safe and to watch for overhead power lines as equipment is moved through fields and across farm yards.
Source : Farmscape.ca