Farmers are hoping for warm, dry weather as they are busy controlling weeds, monitoring the crop and preparing for haying.
Farmers are hoping for warm, dry weather as they are busy controlling weeds, monitoring the crop and preparing for haying.
On Monday, Jeff Gaab, who farms just south of Weyburn, was busying spraying, despite dealing with equipment difficulties in soggy fields. His fields had an average amount of weeds in them and he said "things are looking good" for his crop.
"It's nicely established. Things are progressing nicely," he said.
The flea beetle, which attacks canola and has caused trouble for some, isn't bothering Gaab.
"I haven't noticed a lot of issues so far and we did plant a fair bit of it," he said.
Russ Leguee farms near Fillmore and is also busying spraying for broadleaf weeds and wild oats. He said there are more weeds than normal this year and said "they like moisture". His crops are doing quite well though.
"My main concern is all these thunderstorms that keep building up," said Leguee, and commented that the rain has been heavy in spots. Leguee lost one to two per cent of his crop to flooding since seeding.
"The fields are pretty wet, but the crop is looking pretty good," said Dale Paslawski, who farms near Cedoux. He is just finishing up his spraying, but said many of the farmers in his area still have lots of fields left to spray and that the soggy fields are causing trouble, especially when machines get stuck in the mud.
"You can miss that 'too much rain' or 'not enough rain' spot by half a mile," said Paslawski echoing Leguee's observations of spotty rain.
Paslawski said some of the canola crop in his area is under threat from flea beetles, but that the danger should have passed by this coming weekend. There are still many things producers are on the watch for though, from disease in their lentils, to hail, flooding and other pests.
"Farming is quite a risky business," said Paslawski, who added that a week or so of dry weather would be very beneficial now.
The Ministry of Agriculture reported on June 20 that there was little seeding progress for some producers in the region due to wet fields and poor drying conditions. Producers now have 94 per cent of the crop in the ground, up only one per cent from last week. The five-year (2008-2012) seeding average for this time of year is 83 per cent.
Although rainfall received from June 14 to 16 is delaying spraying operations, the rain was welcomed in some of the drier areas. Stoughton received 28 mm of rain as of Thursday and the Weyburn area got 50 mm. The Radville area got 10 mm of rain. Since April 1, the Weyburn area has received the most precipitation (175 mm).
Topsoil moisture conditions on cropland are rated as 15 per cent surplus, 84 per cent adequate and one per cent short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 12 per cent surplus, 86 per cent adequate and two per cent short.
Crop damage in the region is mostly due to flooding, wind and insects such as flea beetles, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. For the most part crops are looking good and are developing quickly; however, some crops that were seeded late or were flooded are slightly behind.
