Agro Perspectiva

Saskatchewan Harvest Still Just Inching Forward

03.09.2010 13:49 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) — The Saskatchewan harvest continued to just crawl along this past week. Only 8% of the 2010 crop had been combined as of Monday, with an additional 22% swathed or ready to straight combine, according to today’s provincial crop report. That’s up from just over 2% harvested and 9% swathed or ready to straight combine the previous week but trails the five-year average of 28% and 25%, respectively. Last year at this time, just under 8% of the 2009 crop had been combined. An additional 13% was swathed or ready to straight combine. The southwest had 15% of the crop combined as of Monday, the southeast 14%, and the northeast and northwest each had 2% combined. In east-central Saskatchewan, 4% of the crop was combined and in west-central Saskatchewan 6% of the crop was off. Southeast: Many crop reporters are having difficulty assessing yields at this time due to crop immaturity, flooded areas and disease. The average yields for the region are as follows: winter wheat 50 bu/ac, spring wheat 34 bu/ac, durum 32 bu/ac, oats 65 bu/ac, barley 51 bu/ac, fall rye 48 bu/ac, flax 20 bu/ac, canola 28 bu/ac, mustard 880 lb./ac, lentils 1,100 lb./ac, peas 30 bu/ac, canaryseed 1,400 lb./ac and chickpeas 1,200 lb./ac. Although there was one day when the temperature was above 30C, several days of warm weather are still needed to push the crops along. Many areas are still one to two weeks behind normal crop development. Wet fields are causing problems with harvesting equipment. Some farmers are having to dump grain into grain carts on the road as the fields are too soft. With all the rain, many crop reporters are concerned about crop quality. Heavy dew in the mornings and again in the evenings makes for short combining days. Very little fall seeding is being done. Southwest: Crop reporters are indicating the following average crop yields at this time: winter wheat 41 bu/ac, spring wheat 32 bu/ac, durum 33 bu/ac, oats 50 bu/ac, barley 48 bu/ac, fall rye 54 bu/ac, triticale 35 bu/ac, flax 20 bu/ac, canola 27 bu/ac, mustard 1,000 lb./ac, lentils 1,200 lb./ac, peas 30 bu/ac, canaryseed 1,300 lb./ac and chickpeas 1,000 lb./ac. Frost is a worry as temperatures have dipped to 5C on occasion. Rain on desiccated/swathed pulses and cereals has farmers worried about crop quality. A few weeks of dry and sunny weather are needed, as most crops are one to two weeks behind normal in development. East-central: Crop yields are difficult to assess at this time. Crop reporters are indicating the following average yields: winter wheat 42 bu/ac, spring wheat 32 bu/ac, durum 34 bu/ac, oats 65 bu/ac, barley 50 bu/ac, fall rye 30 bu/ac, triticale 25 bu/ac, flax 26 bu/ac, canola 24 bu/ac, mustard 900 lb./ac, lentils 1,100 lb./ac, peas 32 bu/ac, canaryseed 900 lb./ac and chickpeas 1,400 lb./ac. Canola crops are weedy in some areas. Some crops are ready to swath, but the rain is keeping farmers out of the fields. Crop quality is being reduced in the swath. Some winter wheat is being seeded, although most fields are difficult to access with seeding equipment. There are reports of combines getting stuck in winter wheat fields. In general, crops need two to three weeks to mature. Sunny and dry weather is needed. Frost is a concern. West-Central: Crop reporters are indicating the average crop yields at this time are as follows: winter wheat 43 bu/ac, spring wheat 37 bu/ac, durum 39 bu/ac, oats 76 bu/ac, barley 56 bu/ac, fall rye 54 bu/ac, triticale 42 bu/ac, flax 25 bu/ac, canola 30 bu/ac, mustard 1,200 lb./ac, lentils 1,200 lb./ac, peas 37 bu/ac and canaryseed 1,200 lb./ac. Crops are behind normal in development by one to two weeks, so many farmers are hoping for warm and sunny weather. Farmers are swathing peas, canola and winter cereals, and desiccating lentils and peas. Northeast: Crop yield predictions are quite variable across all crops. Crop reporters in the region are indicating the following average crop yields at this time: winter wheat 38 bu/ac, spring wheat 33 bu/ac, oats 68 bu/ac, barley 50 bu/ac, fall rye 37 bu/ac, flax 17 bu/ac, canola 24 bu/ac, peas 27 bu/ac and canaryseed 1,000 lb./ac. Some unseeded fields have been sprayed four times this year. Crop staging is variable, and crops are still one to two weeks behind normal in development. Fields are very wet in areas and swathers are getting stuck. Northwest: Estimated average crop yields for the region are as follows: spring wheat 38 bu/ac, oats 79 bu/ac, barley 65 bu/ac, fall rye 32 bu/ac, flax 20 bu/ac, canola 32 bu/ac and peas 38 bu/ac. The wind blew crop and hay swaths around. Disease pressures in pulses have caused some crop damage as well. Some crops are lodging in areas that received heavy rain over the past couple of weeks. Warm and sunny weather is needed. Farmers are busy finishing haying, hauling bales, getting ready for harvest and harvesting.