Winnipeg, July 12 – Heavy downpours across Saskatchewan are putting wet feet on a crop that typically does better in a drier setting.
“There will definitely be localized flooding in some of the fields,” said Brent Flaten of Saskatchewan Agriculture.
“How much damage it will do I’m not sure, but it’s definitely not good for the lentil crop.”
Flash floods were reported around Lloydminster and other locations.
As much as four inches fell at Lloydminister, according to Flaten. Showers were also reported stretching from the southwest corner, near Swift Current, to the northeast, near Carrot River.
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Estevan, located in the southeast corner of the province, was forced to declare a state of emergency due to flooding.
“In well over 90 percent of the areas we didn’t need this heavy rain, that’s for sure,” he said.
Unlike canola and wheat, which can withstand healthy doses of rain, lentils are more susceptible to damage from too much water.
“There’s been some reports of moulding and rotting of stems in some localized areas,” said Flaten. “What percentage that’s been affected I don’t know yet.”
Some lentils in low spots are likely sitting in water already, said Flaten, but it’s still too early to say how many fields for sure.
Disease pressures are another concern this time of year and the recent rain only intensifies the problem, Flaten noted.
While farmers have been busy spraying fungicides, he says that will only do so much given the amount of rain.
“It’s going to be negative for the yield,” he said.
Each year the vast majority of Canadian lentils are seeded in Saskatchewan.
This spring, farmers in the province planted a record 5.3 million acres of lentils, according to Statistics Canada.
That compares to 3.7 million acres seeded in 2015.
