Dry weather helps to advance seeding

“It has not significantly affected the topsoil moisture at this time. Our crop land topsoil moisture is 70 per cent adequate and 19 per cent surplus, which is good,” Ugheoke said. “Hayland is 70 per cent adequate and 14 per cent surplus. Pastureland is not far off; it’s just 68 per cent adequate and nine percent surplus.”

Only 11 per cent of cropland in the province is short of moisture, along with 16 per cent of hayland and 20 per cent of pastureland. Another 3 per cent of pasture is reported to be very short of moisture.

Durum is the most-seeded cereal crop at 74 per cent. Among pulses, field peas are 77 per cent planted and lentils are at 76 per cent. Mustard leads oilseed crops at 56 per cent.

Ugheoke said crop development is behind schedule.

“Most of the crops are behind, unfortunately. That’s a result of the fact that seeding didn’t go in as scheduled and so they are behind, literally all the crops are behind,” he added. “But that doesn’t mean they are not growing as they should. The crops are doing well, just that the seeding dates were a little behind this seeding period.”

Fall cereals are 41 per cent behind in development, spring cereals 63 per cent, pulse crops 55 per cent and oilseeds 73 per cent. Perennial forages are 48 per cent behind, and annual forages are 59 per cent behind.

The report also noted some generally minor crop damage from gophers, flooding, wind, frost and periods of heat.

Ugheoke said if weather conditions remain favourable, seeding progress could advance quickly next week.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

by Alice McFarlane

Dry weather helps to advance seeding

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