Saskatchewan farmers have made little seeding progress over last week, due to rain. Fifty-nine percent of the crop is in the ground, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture's Weekly Crop Report. The five-year average for this time of year is 86 percent complete.
The majority of the province is dealing with very wet soil conditions, making seeding operations difficult at best. Since the beginning of April, many areas in the province have received more than six inches of total precipitation, and some areas have received in excess of eight inches of precipitation. Seeding is 78 percent complete in north-western Saskatchewan, 66 percent complete in south-western and west-central Saskatchewan, 65 percent complete in the southeast, 44 percent complete in the northeast and 42 percent complete in east-central Saskatchewan.
Topsoil moisture continues to increase, and the wet soil is creating problems in some parts of the province, particularly in the north-eastern and east-central regions, where cropland topsoil moisture conditions are reported as 94 and 84 percent surplus, respectively. Provincially, cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 59 percent surplus and 41 percent adequate. Hay land and pasture top soil moisture is rated as 28 percent surplus, 71 percent adequate and one percent short.
Eighty percent of spring cereals and oilseeds are behind normal in development. Seventy-seven percent of the pulse crops and 37 percent of the fall cereals are behind normal in development.
The majority of the crops that have emerged are in fair to good condition.
Crop damage is mostly attributed to flooding and frost. Frost damage was reported in the southern, west-central and north-western regions with temperatures in some areas reaching -3 degrees Celsius.
