The latest Saskatchewan crop report highlights the tale of this spring’s weather: too wet in the east and too dry in the west.
Those in the southwestern, west-central and northwestern areas were virtually done seeding last week while their counterparts in the east were, on average, about half to two-thirds finished.
Seeding progress was pegged at 64 percent in the southeast, 50 percent in east-central and 60 percent in the northeast. Dry, windy weather in the last week will have pushed those numbers higher, but the lingering effects of heavy spring snow storms and rainfall will mean unseeded acres.
“We don’t have any estimate on unseeded acreage due to excess moisture yet,” said crops extension specialist Matt Struthers.
But he said low-lying areas are holding a lot of water, especially in the southeast.
“I would doubt we see 100 percent,” he said. “It would just be very difficult.”
Jake Leguee farms near Fillmore and said he and others in the area will lose acres that are either under water or were full when seeding occurred and now aren’t worth going back for.
“I would say we’re not going to be 10 percent short, but probably seven to eight percent,” he said about acres that will not grow a crop.
It’s been quite a few years since there was this much water and it comes after last year’s drought.
Leguee said rain last August helped but it was really the winter runoff and heavy rain that have created the opposite problem.
Accumulated precipitation in an area near Moosomin and Rocanville has already topped the 350-millimetre mark, with the Rural Municipality of Martin reporting 365 mm since April 1. Others in the southeast have received more than 200 mm.
On Twitter, farmers suggested the dry windy conditions of last week and a dry forecast would help, but suggested unseeded acres could be as high as 10 percent.
A Wawota farmer reported eight of 16 fields seeded and slow going.
“Highly doubt we’ll finish before we give up due to the calendar,” he tweeted.
The June 20 final seeding date for Saskatchewan Crop Insurance coverage looms.
Leguee said farmers are already running into risk depending on what they are seeding. He switched some durum for spring wheat, saying he doesn’t like to seed durum after June 1.
“If you can’t get half your crop in until the 15th you’re running into some really big risk,” he said.
But he also noted that crop insurance pays more than the unseeded acreage benefit so many will take the chance.
Struthers said several of the province’s crop reporters have heard that some farmers are thinking of floating on canola seed. That isn’t a recommended practice, but if they can incorporate the seed they might have a crop, he said.
“The southeast just needs a whack of nice breezy warm days,” he said. “In the west, I would like to see a week-long rain.”
