Crop Report shows rainfall improving livestock water supplies

Jun 21, 2024

Frequent rainfall and excess moisture have resulted in one per cent of the acres in the province going unseeded.

Crops extension specialist Meghan Rosso says overall, the rain is supporting crop growth in the majority of regions across the province, but there is some crop stress occurring in the northern regions from excess moisture.

"Currently, three per cent of land is flooded and unlikely to produce a crop, one per cent of forage crops have excess moisture and are unlikely to produce a crop."

The rain has helped to improve water supply conditions for livestock producers with 79 per cent now reporting no concerns over livestock water supplies.

Saskatchewan Agriculture's weekly crop report shows cooler temperatures and excess moisture conditions are causing delays to overall crop development.

Fall cereals, spring wheat, and oilseeds are behind normal development as compared to previous weeks.

Rosso says crop damage is being reported in a number of areas around the province for various reasons.

"Producers have reported overall minor crop damage associated with frosts, but some crops are still being assessed. Producers are applying fungicides to slow the development of crop diseases as well. Notably, producers have seen some diseases in cereal crops. Gophers, flea beetles, and grasshoppers continue to cause crop damage throughout the province."

She points out that in some areas, gophers and flea beetles have caused severe damage and producers have had to reseed.

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Video: Not only is corn getting sweatier, it's getting smarter

Over the past several weeks, much of the U.S. Midwest has experienced prolonged episodes of extreme heat, a trend also observed in other major corn-producing regions of North America such as eastern South Dakota, southern Ontario, and parts of Kansas and Missouri. These high-temperature events can place significant physiological stress on maize (Zea mays L.), which is cultivated on approximately 90 million acres across the United States, with leading production in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Like all maize, Bayer’s PRECEON™ Smart Corn System is subject to transpiration-driven water loss under high heat. However, this system incorporates agronomic traits designed to improve standability through enhanced stalk strength, thereby reducing lodging risk during stress conditions. Furthermore, the system supports precision agriculture practices by enabling more targeted fertilizer and crop protection applications. This approach not only helps to optimize input efficiency but also contributes to maintaining or increasing yield potential under variable environmental stresses such as heat waves, which are becoming more frequent in corn belt and fringe production regions.