Harvest progress went up a little bit in Saskatchewan, as six per cent has been combined. According to the provincial crop report Thursday morning, it’s up from four per cent last week and slightly ahead of the five and ten year averages of five per cent.

Producers in the southwest lead other regions in harvest progress at 16 per cent combined, followed by the southeast at 11 per cent done, two per cent in the east-central, and one per cent in the west-central. Producers in the northwest and northeast haven’t started yet but are ready once crops are mature.

Winter wheat and fall rye are the most harvested crops in the province, with 55 per cent of winter wheat taken off and 42 per cent of fall rye is combined. For pulses, 28 per cent of lentils and 26 per cent of field peas are now harvested. Triticale is the leading spring-seeded cereal crop at 28 per cent harvested, followed by eight per cent of barley crops now taken off, three per cent of durum and two per cent of spring wheat. Harvest progress for oilseeds is insignificant as only one per cent of canola and mustard have been harvested, the report said.

Crops Extension Specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture Tyce Masich said weather-wise, it was dry around the province except for the north and east where they got a considerable amount of rain, though it’ll benefit later-seeded crops more than the earlier-seed crops.

The Kuroki area got the most rain this past week at 55 mm, the Wadena area 48, Kelvington 36, and the Rose Valley and Middle Lake areas both got 35 mm. Topsoil moisture conditions for cropland and hay land is below 30 per cent adequate while adequate levels for pasture land are below 20 per cent.

Masich says the lack of rainfall is affecting water supplies for livestock producers. The report suggested “one per cent of livestock water supplies are severely short, 31 per cent are moderately short, 22 per cent are anticipated to be short in the next couple months and 47 per cent are not expected to be short for the foreseeable future. When asking producers if they are concerned about water availability on their farm, 77 per cent indicated they aren’t concerned while 23 per cent said they are.”

Most of the crop damage recorded was due to dry and hot conditions, along with grasshopper damage, symptoms of sclerotinia stem rot showing up in several canola fields, and wind and aphid damage.

A region-by-region breakdown of harvest and other activity can be found below.

Southeast

Harvest has begun for many producers in the southeast as the hot temperatures and limited rainfall are causing crops to rapidly mature.

Harvest is currently 11 per cent complete in the southeast, which is above the six per cent provincial average. Harvest progress in this region is also ahead of the four per cent five-year average and five per cent 10-year average.

Fall rye leads the way for harvest progress as 64 per cent is now in the bin. Winter wheat progress is significantly behind fall rye with 18 per cent combined so far. Producers are making good progress with pulse crops as 41 per cent of field pea, 31 per cent of chickpea, and 29 per cent of lentil crops have been harvested. Durum leads the way for spring seeded cereal crops as 18 per cent of durum harvest is complete, followed closely by oats at 12 per cent and barley at 10 per cent. Very few oilseed acres have been harvested as merely one per cent of canola harvest is complete, but progress will pick up in the coming weeks.

There was very little rainfall for much of the southeast during this period, with only a few scattered showers taking place. The Carnduff area received 27 mm of rain, which was the most in this region. The Saltcoats area received the second highest rainfall with 17 mm. The limited rainfall in the region affected cropland topsoil moisture, which is currently 29 per cent adequate, 44 per cent short and 27 per cent very short. Hayland topsoil moisture is 27 per cent adequate, 42 per cent short and 31 per cent very short. Finally, pasture topsoil moisture is 21 per cent adequate, 40 per cent short and 39 per cent very short.

Livestock water supplies are being impacted by the recent dry conditions. There are concerns amongst producers of algae bloom in water sources due to the hot and dry environment. Moderate shortages are reported in 34 per cent of livestock water sources, 17 per cent of sources are estimated to be short within the next two months and 49 per cent are not expected to be short in the coming months. Eighty-three per cent of livestock producers in the region are not concerned about water shortages in the future and 17 per cent of producers have water security concerns.

Crop damage in the southeast during the period was mainly due to lack of moisture and heat. Wind, sclerotinia and grasshopper damage were also reported in the last week.

Southwest

Harvest is in full swing for much of Southwest Saskatchewan. Any rainfall received likely won’t benefit crops now but will help pasture conditions. Producers are hoping for a wet fall to replenish soil moisture.

The southwest leads Saskatchewan in harvest progress as 16 per cent of crops have been harvested, which is well above the six-per cent provincial average. Harvest progress this year is also above the 10 per cent five-year average and 10 per cent 10-year average for this region.

Fall seeded cereals lead the way for harvest progress as winter wheat harvest is 100 per cent complete and fall rye harvest is wrapping up with 93 per cent complete. Around half of field pea and lentil crops are off as 57 per cent of field peas and 45 per cent of lentils have been combined. Triticale crops are now 33 per cent harvested which leads spring-seeded cereal crops. Barely is close behind with 25 per cent of acres harvested. Harvest of other spring cereals are just getting started as only six per cent of oats, three per cent of spring wheat and one per cent of durum have been harvested. Like the rest of the province, most oilseed crops aren’t ready for harvest in the southwest as only two per cent of canola and one per cent of mustard have been harvested.

Little rainfall occurred during this reporting period, but there were a few pockets of precipitation. The highest rainfall was in the Richmound-area which received 25 mm of rain. The Dollard area received the second highest rainfall with 17 mm. Overall, the lack of rainfall in much of the southwest has negatively affected topsoil moisture. Cropland topsoil moisture this week is rated as eight per cent adequate, 48 per cent short and 44 per cent very short. Hayland topsoil moisture is 4 per cent adequate, 47 percent short, and 49 per cent very short. Pasture topsoil moisture is a mere 3 per cent adequate, 45 per cent short and 52 per cent very short.

Despite the dry conditions, only 18 per cent of livestock producers have water security concerns for their livestock, while 82 per cent of producers are not currently concerned. Five per cent of livestock water sources are severely short, 27 per cent have moderate shortages, 36 per cent are anticipated to have shortages in the next two months and 32 per cent are not expected to have shortage concerns in the future. Livestock producers in the southwest would like to see lots of rain this fall to help improve water sources that are experiencing shortages.

Heat and limited moisture have been the largest factors causing crop damage this week. Aphids and grasshoppers have also been damaging crops recently. Finally, producers reported some minor wind damage to their crops during this period.

East-Central

Many crops are close to reaching maturity and harvest is on the horizon. A few producers have been able to begin harvesting, but most have yet to start and are using this time to prepare equipment, desiccate and empty grain storage facilities.

Harvest in east-central Saskatchewan is two per cent complete, which matches both the five and 10-year averages. For 2024, harvest in this region is behind the six per cent provincial average. Fall rye has the highest harvest progress with 37 per cent of fall rye crops being harvested so far. Lentil progress is a distant second at eight per cent complete, followed by winter wheat at six per cent complete, and field peas being four per cent complete. Very few spring cereal and oilseed crops have yet to be harvested and progress for these crops is insignificant.

Rainfall was variable throughout east-central Saskatchewan this week as some areas received significant precipitation and other areas didn’t receive any. The Kuroki area received 55 mm of rain, which was the highest in the province. The Wadena area received 48 mm of rain this week, which was the second highest amount in the province. Other areas in the east-central to receive notable rainfall include Leroy with 31 mm, Danbury with 28 mm, and Whitebeech with 24 mm. Topsoil moisture for cropland slightly improved this past week as 44 per cent of it is adequate, 50 per cent short and six per cent very short. Both hayland and pasture topsoil moisture slightly declined, though. Hayland topsoil moisture is 40 per cent adequate, 44 per cent short, and 16 per cent very short. Pasture topsoil moisture is 37 per cent adequate, 43 per cent short and 20 per cent very short.

Livestock producers in this region are experiencing some water shortages for their animals. Thirty-two per cent of water supplies are moderately short and five per cent of sources are expected to become short in the next couple of months, while 63 per cent of water sources are expected to have no shortage issues in the next few months. Thirty-two percent of livestock producers have concerns regarding water availability for their livestock while 68 per cent have no concerns.

Crop damage this week was primarily caused by wind, heat and dry conditions. Some grasshopper activity and sclerotinia stem rot symptoms were reported in fields, but these cases were fairly minor.

West-Central

Conditions in the west-central region remain dry leading up to harvest. Harvest isn’t fully underway yet in this region, but a few producers have been able to start. Lots of desiccating took place this week and many producers expect to begin harvesting in the next week or two.

Harvest in the west-central region is currently one per cent complete, which is less than the current six per cent provincial average. Harvest progress in west-central Saskatchewan this year is also behind the regional five-year average of five per cent and 10-year average of three per cent. Crops harvested so far are mainly winter wheat and fall rye. Thirty-nine per cent of winter wheat has been harvested while 17 per cent of fall rye harvest is complete. Field peas and lentils are the only other crops where harvest has begun in this region so far, with harvest progress for each of these crops being three per cent complete.

There was very little rainfall in west-central Saskatchewan this week, with only a few areas receiving precipitation. The Coleville area received 25 mm of rain which was the most in this region, followed by Macklin-area which received 15 mm and Smiley-area which received 13 mm. As a result of very limited precipitation, topsoil moisture in this region has rapidly declined since last week. Topsoil moisture is now 13 per cent adequate, 63 per cent short and 24 per cent very short. Hayland topsoil moisture is three per cent adequate, 67 per cent short and 30 per cent very short. Finally, pasture topsoil moisture conditions are dry as only three per cent is adequate, 66 per cent is short and 31 per cent is very short.

Livestock producers in this region are the most concerned about water availability for their livestock with 39 per cent of producers concerned and 61 per cent not concerned. Moderate shortages are being seen in 17 per cent of livestock water sources, another 44 per cent of water sources are expected to experience shortages in the next couple of months and 39 per cent are not expected to experience shortages in the next few months. Like most of the province, livestock producers are hoping for plenty of rain this fall and lots of snow during the winter to fill water sources for next year.

Dry conditions from a lack of rainfall and heat caused the most crop damage this week. Grasshoppers feeding on crops and sclerotinia stem rot infections also resulted in crop damage this week.

Northeast

Some areas in the northeast received rainfall which benefited later seeded crops and was welcomed by producers. Producers are currently busy getting harvest equipment ready and desiccating crops.

Harvest has not begun yet except for a few winter wheat and field pea crops. Eight per cent of winter wheat crops have been harvested and three per cent of field peas have been taken off. The slow harvest progress is due to a few factors, mainly the cool and wet spring causing seeding and crop development delays. Rainfall this past week further delays harvest as well, but many producers are hopeful they will begin harvesting within the next couple of weeks. Currently producers are in the process of desiccating crops and servicing harvest equipment.

Quite a few areas received rain this week while other areas didn’t receive any. The Kelvington area got the most rain with 36 mm, while nearby Rose Valley received 35 mm. The Middle Lake area also received 35 mm of rain. Other areas to receive significant precipitation this week includes Arborfield and Porcupine Plain with 31 mm, Archerwill with 30 mm and Saint Brieux with 26 mm. The rainfall throughout much of the region improved topsoil moisture conditions for cropland, hayland and pasture. Cropland topsoil moisture is 60 per cent adequate, 38 per cent short and two per cent very short. Hayland topsoil moisture is 48 per cent adequate, 51 per cent short and one per cent very short. Pasture topsoil moisture is 48 per cent adequate, 50 per cent short and two per cent very short.

Producers in the northeast have the least concern about water availability for their livestock. Only 12 per cent of livestock producers have concerns about water availability which is well below the 23 per cent provincial average, and 77 per cent of producers do not have water security concerns for their livestock. Livestock producers in this region estimate that 27 per cent of livestock water sources have moderate shortages, 12 per cent are expected to be short in the coming months and 62 per cent are not expected to experience shortages. Overall, northeast Saskatchewan is one of the strongest regions in the province for livestock water availability.

Crop damage this week was largely from abiotic stresses such as wind, heat, and dry conditions. Aphids feeding on crops and sclerotinia stem rot infections are also causing crop damage in parts of the northeast.

Northwest

The northwest continues to be hot and dry, which is hurting crop and pasture conditions. Additionally, crops are maturing quickly, and producers are starting to swath and desiccate crops.

Harvest has yet to kick off in this region as less than one per cent of crops are currently harvested. This is slightly behind the five and 10-year regional averages of one per cent completion, and greatly behind the six per cent provincial average for this year. The only crop harvested so far this year is winter wheat, which is 100 per cent complete.

The northwest received very little rainfall this week. The most rainfall in the region occurred in the Hafford-area, which only received 3 mm. Overall, topsoil moisture conditions were negatively impacted by the limited precipitation this week. Cropland topsoil moisture is currently 22 per cent adequate, 48 per cent short and 30 per cent very short. Hayland topsoil moisture is 19 per cent adequate, 47 per cent short and 34 per cent very short. Pasture topsoil moisture is 15 per cent adequate, 49 per cent short and 36 per cent very short. Producers want a wet fall after harvest to improve soil moisture.

The limited moisture in this region has 36 per cent of livestock producers concerned about water availability for their livestock, which is the second highest percentage in the province. The northwest leads the province in livestock water shortages with 57 per cent of water sources having moderate shortages, 21 per cent of sources expected to have shortage issues in the next two months and only 21 per cent of sources expected to have no shortage issues.

Like much of the province, dry conditions and hot temperatures caused the greatest crop damage this past week. Some producers reported wind and frost damage to crops in their area as well.