Farmers in drier southern areas of Saskatchewan and Manitoba have already put some crop in the ground, according to their provincial ag departments.
Peas, barley, lentils and wheat were seeded during the past week in the southern regions of Saskatchewan, while most northern and central areas are still two to three weeks away from seeding, according to the provincial crop report for the week ending April 20.
The provincial ag department noted in its press release Tuesday that the effects of the weekend storm in that province will be reported next week. Much of the precipitation from that storm system came on Sunday.
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Overall, Saskatchewan Agriculture reported, about one per cent of the province’s 2008 crop is now seeded and 51 per cent of its crop, hay and pasture land has “adequate” topsoil moisture. Only 17 per cent of cropland in the province’s southwest reported adequate moisture.
Seeding also got underway in southwestern Manitoba last week, with cereal crops now 15 to 20 per cent seeded in that region and pulse crops 10 per cent seeded, according to Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives’ crop report on Monday.
Seeding, fertilizer work and tillage are also underway in the central region of southern Manitoba, around Portage la Prairie. Depending on the weather, seeding in that region is expected to be “general” by the coming weekend, the province said.
Seeding has yet to begin in the northwest, southeast or Interlake regions. Soil moisture conditions are wet to ideal in the northwest, although snow was still visible last week in shadier areas of fields around The Pas and Swan River. Soil moisture conditions range from good to “full” in the southeast, while field operations in the Interlake, between Lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba, are expected to begin in about a week if dry conditions persist, the province said.
