Rain slows crop development across west-central Saskatchewan

By Your Southwest Media Group

Most west-central Saskatchewan farmers are looking for sunshine and warm weather so their crops can use the moisture that drenched them.

Farmers throughout the region indicated that about a third of their fields were behind in development for this time of year, but nearly two-thirds were developing normally, according to the provincial Agriculture Department's latest weekly report.

Thirty-four per cent of the oilseed and spring cereal fields were behind in development, the report said.

Farmers were spraying their fields when conditions allowed after at least an inch of rain fell in most area rural municipalities during the week ending June 22. More showers were forecast over the past weekend.

The RM of Lacadena received 66 millimetres by June 22; Marriott, 50 millimetres; St. Andrews, 42; the RM of Milden, 38; Fertile Valley, 37; and Pleasant Valley and the RM of Biggar, 31.

The RMs of Kindersley, at 23 mm, and Harris, 20 mm, were the only ones in the region that didn't report at least 25.4 mm, the equivalent of an inch, according to a chart.

The rainfall left topsoil moisture levels at three per cent surplus and 97 per cent adequate in fields, and about one per cent surplus and 99 per cent adequate in hay and pasture land. Ten per cent of livestock water sources had "moderate shortages," the statement added.

Excess moisture, hail, gophers, flea beetles, cutworms and pea leaf weevils caused minor to moderate damage, and a few locations experienced minor damage due to dry conditions.

Most areas across Saskatchewan received rain that week, causing saturated fields in some places, the provincewide report said.

"Three per cent of normally seeded acreage went unseeded this spring due to excess moisture," and another three per cent of seeded acres were "flooded and unlikely to produce a crop," the report said.

Farmers with crop insurance contracts were eligible to file an unseeded acreage claim for land they hadn't seeded by June 20. Claims made before July 3 are subject to a penalty.

"A notable portion" of crops were "behind the expected stages of development for this time of year," the report said.

"The significant rainfall received across most areas of the province has been beneficial," and only four per cent of livestock water sources were considered "moderately short," the report said.