Wes Memory considers himself one of the lucky farmers in southeastern Saskatchewan.
He planted his last three quarter-sections to canaryseed last week, just ahead of the crop insurance seeding deadline of June 25.
“We were fighting last week to get in crops,” said the Estevan farmer.
He not only got in his crop in this wet, cool spring, but also did not have to change from his original plan to seed lentils, canola and durum on other fields.
Many other producers are not so fortunate. Some could not seed the low wet spots, while still others are left with unseeded acres.
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Memory expects the unseeded acres to be planted with winter wheat this fall instead.
He said cool, wet conditions and late snowfalls combined to slow farmers’ progress. Memory had two-thirds of his barley and oats in when the mid-May snow came, and planted the last of his durum on June 9.
He started seeding in early spring in cold, dry conditions.
“Looking back, we should have pushed a little harder,” he said.
Rain kept the land damp and the sun rarely made an appearance to warm things up.
“Everybody was just sitting, waiting for it to dry up.”
Memory said the arrival of sunshine on the weekend brightened farmers’ spirits.
With overnight lows expected in the teens, daytime highs reaching up to 30 C this week and no rain, Memory said people should be able to get caught up on spring work.
The cold has largely suppressed insects but the heat brought on the grasshopper hatch this week, he said.
Brian Carlson, who farms around Midale and Fillmore, managed to get his crops in before the late May snow.
In an interview last week, he said his thoughts are now turning to spraying.
“It’s very cold, the crops are slow and the next big thing is going to be disease,” said Carlson.
Wheat growing near Kennedy, Sask., usually heads out by July 12 but some has not yet emerged.
Saskatchewan Crop Insurance will have a clearer picture of the number of unseeded acres by the end of the week, with many claims expected from Weyburn and Assiniboia.
Areas with heavy clay soil or soil without adequate drainage will be hardest hit, said Ed Tanner, soils and crops specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture at Indian Head.
He said Yellow Grass, Weyburn and Carnduff were among the wettest communities this spring. The conditions forced many farmers to switch to flax, barley and oats from canola.
He said this week’s sunny, warm weather is long overdue and most welcome in southern Saskatchewan, where warmer evenings will help extend the growing hours for plants.
Sloughs and dugouts are full and grass and haylands are delayed, but in good shape. Canola and peas are also behind and should be flowering by now, he said.
Tanner said some crops have yellowed but are still generally in good shape.
“Things look pretty good for those people that were able to get seeded.”
