Harvest slightly ahead of 5-year average: crop specialist

It’s harvest time in Saskatchewan!

According to this week’s provincial crop report, two per cent of crops are combined and another three per cent are swathed or ready to straight-cut — that’s slightly ahead of the five-year average.

The Ministry of Agriculture’s regional crop specialist, Shannon Friesen, said harvest is most advanced in the south. Meanwhile, many producers in the central and northern regions expect to be in the field within the next couple weeks.

Friesen added that many southern producers with hay crops are hurting this year.

“We do have a hay shortage, of course, because we didn’t get as much taken off as we had hoped,” she explained. “But we do have lots (of hay) in the north, so hopefully we can move things around and help our neighbours out.”

While producers are thankful for the recent rain, Friesen said, in most southern areas, it’s too late to be of benefit as crops are rapidly drying down.

To the north, heavy downpours have flooded fields, roads and yards.

When it comes to crop damage this past week, Friesen said it’s mainly due to hail, localized flooding, strong winds and lack of moisture.

Spraying for bertha armyworms and diamondback moths in canola fields is also on producers’ to-do lists.

This is what 200 diamondback moth larvae looks like. Economic threshold is 200-300/m2 #scout17 #westcdnag pic.twitter.com/yX7CcWS4WF

— Amanda Dawn (@amandawuchner) August 1, 2017