SASKATOON – Frustrated central and northern Saskatchewan farmers, stalled by parched, clumpy soils, are blessing last week’s rain.
But the Oct. 12 rain, which brought more than the total average October precipitation to some areas, is a curse to some southern producers and a dream for northern Albertans and northwestern Saskatchewan farmers.
“We got about 10 drops here,” said Lloydminster, Sask., producer Alex Mitchell. “It’s powder-dry up here. It’s just like flour.”
The excessively dry conditions across the central and northern prairie grainbelt stopped producers from applying herbicides and fertilizers, crop watchers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba reported. Areas such as Lloydminster only received five percent of normal precipitation between Sept. 1 and Oct. 10. Coronation, Alta., received seven percent of normal rainfall during the time period and Dauphin, Man., recorded six percent of average, Environment Canada reports.
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With such dry soils, annual weeds will not appear, making herbicide applications futile. And anhydrous ammonia applications in dry soil are risky because the gas will have nothing to bond with and disappear before spring.
But the heavy rain has given central and northern Saskatchewan farmers a chance to get out working, something Saskatchewan Wheat Pool fertilizer sales manager Doug Clark said should lower tension on farms.
“It takes the fear of drought right out of the producer’s mind,” he said. “I was very pleased and relieved with the rain.”
Saskatoon agrologist Larry Gramiak said the rain came just in time so farmers did not have to rethink their cropping decisions.
While some Saskatchewan farmers are looking for even more, last week’s precipitation was an ugly development for farmers like John Raine.
The Wilcox, Sask., man was only about halfway through harvest when a centimetre of rain fell, knocking operations back for at least four days, he said.
South of Regina many fields have been excessively wet since late August, causing problems with second growth and damp swathed and standing crops.
Raine said good moisture all summer has given him excellent, high-yielding crops. The only problem is finding enough dry days to get out and collect them.
“It’s only October. It isn’t December yet. I’m definitely going to come in in time for Christmas dinner,” he joked.
