Saskatchewan crops shrivel in the heat
MELFORT, Sask. — The weather continues to push crops to their limit with continued hot and dry weather and minimal rainfall this week.
Crops extension specialist Matt Struthers said the conditions are causing crops to rapidly advance through their developmental stages. Without a significant rainfall, many crops will have their yields and quality severely impacted.
“The hot dry weather is forcing those crops to abandon hope of making it to the end of the season and they’re just trying to ripen and set seed as quickly as possible,” Struthers said. “I’ve heard of barley fields that aren’t even knee high and they’re starting to head out.”
Currently, 36 per cent of fall cereals, 29 per cent of spring cereals, 25 per cent of oilseed crops and 30 per cent of pulse crops are ahead of their normal stages of development for this time of year.