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By Angela Brown

Staying optimistic

Ag experts keep eye on precipitation levels leading into growing season

Mar 7, 2021 | 2:03 PM

NORTH BATTLEFORD – While spring is still a couple of months away, producers in the North West region of Saskatchewan are keeping an eye on precipitation levels this winter as they plan for a new seeding season.

Bill Romanowski, who farms south of Unity, said precipitation has been about average so far.

“I feel good about it right now,” he said. “There is still plenty of time for more spring moisture, prior to seeding.”

Romanowski adds that the thaw is very slow, which is helpful because it allows moisture to soak into the soil.

‘[I’m] fairly optimistic about getting things started,” he said.

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Romanowski expects to start seeding likely in May on roughly 2,500 acres in total, with plans to grow canola, wheat, barley, peas, and possibly canaryseed.

Based on the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency’s March report, the areas of North Battleford and Spiritwood West are seeing below normal precipitation levels prior to runoff. The Meadow Lake area, north of Spiritwood, has near-normal precipitation.

Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture regional crop specialist Alison Fransoo, PAg, believes precipitation levels in the region are overall mainly favourable at this point.

“The soil moisture conditions at the end of October following harvest, they were adequate,” she said. “We weren’t dry at all. Precipitation levels have been down a bit in February basically, compared to the average. But there is no reason for concern.”

For around North Battleford, she noted while it’s a little below normal levels, the area will likely see plenty of snow and rain through March and April so it’s not an issue. Also, the area did not start out dry last fall.

Fransoo reminds people the winter still has a way to go.

“There is enough moisture there for seeding in the spring. But you have to realize it depends on what we get through March and April, and the spring rains during seeding,” she said.

As the growing season gets underway in the early spring, the agrologist expects most producers will start with peas and wheat as these crops are a little more tolerant to cooler temperatures.

Looking ahead to a new seeding season, Fransoo is “very optimistic.”

“Quite often we see a lot of snow and rain through now till seeding time,” she said. “If you were looking further south, down around south of Saskatoon area, after harvest or in the fall, they went in drier soil conditions. The moisture conditions were short, so it would be a different story. But our soil moisture going into the fall was adequate.”

As well, commodity prices are buoyant, so producers will have plenty of options this year when planning what crops to grow.

“If you look at commodity prices, I think you are going to see a real mixture,” Fransoo said. “You are going to see a fair bit of barley… and canola. But there will still be wheat production. All the commodity prices are looking good. So, hopefully [producers] will stick with their crop rotations.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW