Unseasonably cool temperatures were a common topic among prairie farmers last month but a new concern is beginning to dominate conversations in coffee shops and around kitchen tables.
Grant McLean, cropping management specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, said a lack of moisture, particularly in west-central Saskatchewan and the southern and central regions of Alberta, has producers anxiously watching weather forecasts.
In many regions, below average rainfall combined with poor soil moisture have hampered germination of oilseeds and late-seeded cereals, delayed grazing operations and forced farmers to alter their seeding intentions.
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He said in Saskatchewan a dry band extends from the Eston, Kindersley and Unity areas up toward Lloydminster.
“In those areas, timely rains are going to be required, particularly on stubble cropping and there are a few individuals who are concerned that they may not have enough moisture to even get the crop up unless they get some rain here in the next little while.”
According to Agriculture Canada drought maps, farmers in western Saskatchewan and most of Alberta have received roughly half their normal precipitation during the past six months.
In some areas, rainfall during April and May was negligible.
Brooks, Alta., for example, has received just 14 millimetres of rain over the past two months, about 24 percent of its normal supply.
Kindersley, Sask., has received just 8.5 mm since April 1, about 16 percent of normal.
For a complete picture of the rainfall situation across the Prairies, click on the 30, 60, 90 and 180 day rolling maps at www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/pr_e.htm.
John Ippolito, a regional crop specialist based in Kindersley, said the coming week will be critical for the development of crops in western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta.
According to Ippolito, early-seeded cereal and pulse crops have emerged but some later-seeded crops are sitting in dry dirt and germination is questionable.
Oilseeds are particularly vulnerable.
“If they were seeded early into fallow ground, they seem to be emerging OK,” he said.
“But the stuff that was seeded a little bit later … in some cases, it won’t be emerging until we see some rainfall.”
Because many farmers couldn’t sow their canola into moisture this spring, oilseed acres are likely to be lower than expected.
“At this point, it’s hard to tell how much of the oilseed crop maybe didn’t even get planted,” he said.
“I think there was a little bit of that going on, where farmers were waiting to plant their canola until they had some moisture.”
Summerfallow acreage could also increase unless rain arrives in the next week or so and convinces producers to continue seeding barley, oats and other early-maturing crops.
Staff at the Saskatchewan Agriculture field office in Kindersley have a few inquiries about reseeding, Ippolito said.
Officials with Saskatchewan Crop Insurance are expecting establishment claims to start rolling in over the next week or so, he added.
Another major concern is the quickly deteriorating condition of pastures and hay crops in the area.
“Most of the pastures are probably poor to very poor in terms of the growth that’s occurring on them,” Ippolito said.
“The cattle have been moved out to pasture but I think a lot of guys feel like it might be a relatively short grazing season without some significant rainfall.”
McLean said some cattle producers in western Saskatchewan and east-central Alberta are still offering cattle supplemental feed because new growth on pastures is minimal.
With hay crops expected to be well below normal yields, some producers are already thinking about hay and forage supplies for the coming winter.
June rains could spur some seeding of green-feed crops, he added.
“In regions where farmers were getting both cool temperatures and no moisture, that really handicapped the development of hay crops,” McLean said.
“In some areas, hay is going to be at a premium and if the hay crop isn’t that good, then guys are always going to be looking at alternative ways to get the groceries and keep the cow herds going.”
Ippolito said producers are still optimistic about the 2009 growing season, but they know the weather in early June could be a key factor.
“I think a lot of guys are still thinking that we’re not in a horrible situation … as long as we can get some rainfall within the next week,” he said.
“But I think the feeling is that this next week is quite critical in terms of getting some rainfall to get this crop on its way.”
Across Saskatchewan, seeding progress as of May 25 was 79 percent complete, slightly ahead of the five-year average of 76 percent.
