Dry weather allowed farmers to stay out in the field longer and get more crops in the bin.
The provincial crop report has harvest progress for Saskatchewan at 41 per cent complete, up from 23 per cent the previous week. However, it's still behind the five year average of 58 per cent and the ten year average of 49 per cent.
The southern regions led the charge with the southwest at 55 per cent complete and the southeast at 50 per cent. The northwest region is 41 per cent complete, the east-central 31 per cent, and the west-central and northeast are at 27 per cent.
The report says harvest is "nearly complete across the province for winter cereals and field peas while lentils are 84 per cent complete." For spring cereals, triticale is 64 per cent combined, barley 54 per cent, durum, 49 per cent, spring wheat and oats are 35 per cent harvested, and canary seed is 11 per cent complete. About 24 per cent of chickpeas are in the bin. For oilseed crops, mustard is 27 per cent harvested, canola 12 per cent, and producers got started on flax with three per cent of it taken off the field.
Crops Extension Specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture Tyce Masich expects the harvest of canola to increase even more should dry conditions continue.
Crop reporters were able to get yields and Masich noted they're higher compared to historical averages, which is a good sign.
"The current estimated averages of crop yields are 50 bushels per acre for hard red spring wheat, 38 bushels for durum, 93 bushels for oats, 71 bushels for barley, 39 bushels for canola, 42 bushels for field peas and 1,784 pounds per acre for lentils." states the report, adding dry conditions and scattered rainfall amounts throughout the growing season contributed to the variability of yields.
Masich says he is interested to see if the early yields will hold up as more crops come off.
While the warm and dry weather has helped producers make additional progress on harvest, it's increased the risk of combine and equipment fires and bin heating. Producers are reminded to take safety measures while working and to monitor stored grain.
It's also led to a decrease in topsoil moisture levels as crop land moisture is currently rated two per cent surplus, 58 per cent adequate, 33 per cent short and seven per cent very short. Hay land is rated two per cent surplus, 48 per cent adequate, 36 per cent short and 14 per cent very short. Pasture topsoil moisture is rated three per cent surplus, 45 per cent adequate, 34 per cent short and 18 per cent very short.
The Foam Lake area had 30 millimetres (mm) of precipitation recorded this past week, while the Lipton area had 26 mm, Langenburg 20 mm, and Raymore and Porcupine Plain both had 18 mm.
A large amount of precipitation is needed to replenish topsoil and subsoil moisture levels and improve pasture conditions, says the report.
Crop damage this past week was due to frost, wind and dry conditions, as well as grasshoppers. Masich says frost damage in later-seeded crops varied in many areas from minor to moderate with the latter seen in pockets of the east-central, northeast, and northwest regions. Grasshoppers also caused minor to moderate crop damage in some areas.
In addition to combining, producers are also busy swathing and desiccating later seeded crops, baling straw, hauling bales and grain. Some producer have started fall field work such as harrowing and post-harvest spraying for weed control.
