Warm weather has helped to advance both crop development and haying. Saskatchewan livestock producers have 17 per cent of the 2013 hay crop cut and eight per cent baled or put into silage, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly Crop Report. Ninety per cent of the provincial hay crop is rated as good to excellent in quality.
The majority of fall cereals are in the heading to dough stages of crop development while most spring cereals are in the jointed to heading 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 rosette to flowering stages of development.
Most parts of the province received large amounts of rain last week which has damaged some crops. Hail, wind and insects such as cabbage seedpod weevil have also caused damage in some areas. There have been reports of disease damage, specifically cereal leaf diseases and root rot.
Across the province, topsoil moisture on crop land is rated as 20 per cent surplus, 78 per cent adequate and two per cent short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 12 per cent surplus, 85 per cent adequate and three per cent short.
Livestock water availability is adequate and pasture conditions are rated as 32 per cent excellent, 62 per cent good and six per cent fair.
Farmers are busy haying and controlling pests.
Source: Government of Saskatchewan