The latest edition of Sask Ag’s Crop Report was released yesterday, August 8. For our area, Crop Districts 6B and 7 in the west-central part of the province, this is what was reported:

Most areas of the region recorded some rainfall for the week which will help crops on dry soil fill as harvest operations near. Most of the region has been missing the moisture that other areas have received over the past few weeks. Crops are slowly advancing in the cool weather; however, there are some reports of pulses being desiccated in the Perdue, Major and Marengo areas. Most other areas are indicating harvest operations are 10 days to two weeks behind normal compared to the last couple of years. Rainfall reported in the past week ranged from nil to 37 mm (Landis area).

The west-central region is furthest ahead in haying and operations are nearing completion. Livestock producers have 96 per cent of the hay crop cut and 82 per cent baled or put into silage. Hay quality is rated as eight per cent excellent, 88 per cent good and four per cent fair. Pasture conditions are rated as nine per cent excellent, 56 per cent good, 33 per cent fair and two per cent poor. Ninety-seven per cent of producers have adequate water supplies for their livestock.

Topsoil moisture conditions are rated as one per cent surplus, 62 per cent adequate, 33 per cent short and four per cent very short on cropland. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture conditions are rated as one per cent surplus, 51 per cent adequate, 41 per cent short and seven per cent very short.  Crop District 7B is reporting 46 and 48 per cent short of topsoil moisture on cropland and hay, respectively.

Very little crop damage was reported in the region. Dry conditions and insects are causing the majority of crop stress.

Producers are busy haying and getting ready for harvest.