News Seeding/Planting Agronomy
Seeding in Saskatchewan is on track

Seeding progress in Saskatchewan more than doubled last week, thanks to minimal rainfall and few disruptions in field work. Fifty-one per cent of the crop has been planted, getting seeding progress on track with the five-year average of 51 per cent (2015-2019) for this time of year.

Seventy-four per cent of the crop is seeded in the southwest region. There is 59 per cent seeded in west-central, 57 per cent seeded in the southeast, 38 per cent seeded in the northwest, 32 per cent seeded in east-central and 26 per cent seeded in the northeast.

Eighty-two per cent of field peas, 78 per cent of lentils, 71 per cent of durum, 69 per cent of chickpeas, 51 per cent of spring wheat, 42 per cent of barley and 38 per cent of canola have been seeded to date.

There was very little to no precipitation throughout all regions of the province this week. The Mayfair region received the highest amount of rainfall at 15 millimetres (mm).

Dry conditions allowed seeding to progress steadily for most producers. For producers with 2019 crops left to harvest, the lack of precipitation allowed them to get into fields that were previously too wet to combine.  Limited precipitation and windy conditions throughout the province have slightly reduced topsoil moisture conditions.

Cropland topsoil moisture rated as two per cent surplus, 75 per cent adequate, 20 per cent short and three per cent very short. Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as one per cent surplus, 67 per cent adequate, 26 per cent short and six per cent very short.

Farmers have been busy seeding, spraying when it wasn’t windy, harrowing, combining the remaining 2019 crop, branding cattle and moving livestock out to pasture.