Warm, dry conditions continued from August 18 to August 24,  which allowed crop development and maturation to progress and farmers in all regions of the province to make some harvest headway.

Fifteen per cent of the crop is combined, up from four per cent last week and ahead of the five-year average of 12 per cent (2015-2019) for this time of year.  An additional 16 per cent of the crop is now swathed or ready to straight-cut, slightly behind the five-year average (2015-2019) of 17 per cent.

Eighty-nine per cent of fall rye, 82 per cent of winter wheat, 59 per cent of lentils, 56 per cent of field peas, 20 per cent of barley, 15 per cent of durum, nine per cent of oats, five per cent of spring wheat and two per cent of canola has been combined.  An additional 16 per cent of canola has been swathed or is ready to straight-cut.

Harvest progress is most advanced in the southern regions.  Farmers in the southwest region have 31 per cent combined, the southeast region 19 per cent, the west-central 12 per cent, the east-central nine per cent, the northeast four per cent and the northwest two per cent.

There were scattered rain showers throughout the province the past week, with most areas receiving trace amounts of rain.  Isolated parts of the eastern regions, along with most of Crop District 9B in the northwest region, received more than 25 mm of rain.  Areas west of Turtleford received the highest amount of rain this week with 83 mm.

Minimal rainfall and warm temperatures continued to deplete topsoil moisture conditions in most areas of the province.  Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as one per cent surplus, 37 per cent adequate, 42 per cent short and 20 per cent very short.  Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as one per cent surplus, 27 per cent adequate, 41 per cent short and 31 per cent very short.

The majority of crop damage was due to lack of moisture, heat, wind and insects such as grasshoppers, bertha armyworms and aphids.  There continues to be reports of premature ripening and heat stress in both crops and pastures.  There were also reports of localized flooding in the northwest region where higher amounts of rainfall was received.

Provincially, pasture conditions are rated as two per cent excellent, 19 per cent good, 41 per cent fair, 28 per cent poor and 10 per cent very poor.

With harvest underway in Saskatchewan, producers need to exercise caution and remain safe.

A complete, printable version of the Crop Report is available online at www.saskatchewan.ca/crop-report.