By Alice McFarlane

Wind causes crop damage

Jun 4, 2020 | 1:02 PM

Saskatchewan farmers made good seeding progress this past week, but the weather is causing some problems.

Dry conditions during the week of May 26 allowed farmers to nearly complete seeding in all regions of the province with 96 per cent planted, which is ahead of the five-year average of 92 per cent.

Crops extension specialist Sara Tetland said some light frost was reported in eastern regions but most of the damage came from strong winds and deteriorating soil moisture conditions.

“Smaller seeded crops had reduced emergence caused by the wind drying out the topsoil moisture and this has prevented the seed from germinating,” Tetland said. “Canola being a smaller seed it’s seeded fairly shallow. Wind has been drying out the soil and it’s also been blowing the soil and lifting the soil away from the seed.”

Tetland said the ministry has been receiving reports of flee beetles in canola. She said she wasn’t aware of any reseeding as a result of crop damage.

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Seeding is 97 per cent complete in the southeast and west-central regions, 95 per cent in the northwest, 94 per cent in the northeast and 93 per cent in the east-central.

There was very little rain reported especially in the central and southern regions. Northern regions received small amounts of rain, with the area east of Neilburg receiving the highest amount of precipitation this week at 28 millimeters.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF