Crops Maturing In The Heat - Moisture Level Dropping

By Robert Thomas

Warm weather helped crops in the Moose Jaw area mature over the last week although there are areas in the region which could use additional moisture to assist with filling heads due to drier soil conditions.

Field pea crops have for the most part podded out with six to seven peas per pod - MJ Independent photo

Field pea crops have now progressed out of their flowering stages with pods developing. Pods are still filling with six to seven peas common in area crops.

An area field pea crop - MJ Independent photo

Although not a major crop in the Moose Jaw region flax has now for the most part progressed past the flowering stage and podded out.

An area flax crop - MJ Independent photo

Flax crops MJ Independent visited show great potential with the pods holding developing seeds inside.

Number of pods in an area flax crop - MJ Independent photo

Durum crops visited show the heads which are now past the flowering stage but still in more than a few fields require additional moisture as soil moisture is drying out.

Farmers report varying soil moisture dependent on the soil type as well as the amount of precipitation which has fallen in the region during the late Spring and into July.

Many area fields were in poor soil moisture condition due to the lack of Winter snowfall, hot and windy conditions with no Spring rains.

Haying operations are not in full swing with a large percentage of the local hay crop cut and based.

Area farmers and ranchers report a poorer than normal hay crop and were for a brief period approximately 10 days ago haying between showers.

It is presently unknown what the price of hay will be in the region and what effect it will have on regional herd sizes.

A large portion of local farmers and ranchers report poorer than expected hay crops due to no snowfall and Spring rains - MJ Independent photo

After a brief bump up from heavier rains area pastures are starting to dry out from the heat.

Cattle in an area pasture - MJ Independent photo

According to Saskatchewan Agriculture on a provincial scale crop soil moisture is 57 percent adequate, 33 percent short and 10 percent very short.

Pature soil moisture is worse off provincially than crop land with 34 percent good, 39 percent fair, 17 percent poor and seven percent very poor.

It needs to be remembered soil types and conditions are and is the best and most fertile land and pasture land is often marginal lands.

On another front the Saskatoon berry season was wrapping this past week with harvesting operations well underway.

Wild chokecherries (on the left) are green and wild Saskatoon blue and red (on the right) in mid July - MJ Independent file photo

The farmed and wild Saskatoon crop is the harvest was good this year.

Crop damage this week was caused by heat, wind and drier conditions.

EDITOR'S NOTE: All photos and crop observations by MJ Independent are within a 10 mile radius of Moose Jaw.