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YORKTON — Producers within most of the East-Central region are just beginning harvest operations with many still busy doing equipment maintenance, desiccating, swathing, hauling bales and completing haying.

Harvest has been able to rapidly progress in the far west side of the region due to the drier conditions which caused crops to advance quickly as compared to the rest of the region. Producers are expressing concern over yield impacts due to the lack of moisture and heat in areas within the region.

Currently, the east-central region is 17 per cent complete harvest. This is ahead of the five-year average of six per cent and 10-year average of five per cent for the region.

Within the region, fall rye harvest is 72 per cent complete followed by winter wheat at 38 per cent harvested. For spring-seeded cereal crops, barley is eight per cent harvested, durum is seven per cent, spring wheat is two per cent and both triticale and oats are one per cent complete. For pulse crops within the region, 25 per cent of lentils are harvested followed by 16 per cent of field peas. No oilseed crops have been harvested to date within the region. Harvest percentages reported include per cent of crop harvested as feed. A full summary of individual crop harvest progress for all regions can be viewed in the attached harvest progress table.

Regionally, 84 per cent of the fall rye is reported at 1 CW and 16 per cent at 2 CW. Winter wheat grade quality is reported at 96 per cent 1 CW, three per cent at 2 CW and one per cent at 3 CW.

Scattered rain fell throughout much of the region over the past week. The highest amount recorded fell in the Wadena area at 38 mm. The Jedburg area received 23 mm, the Raymore area received 22 mm and the Hanley area received 11 mm over the past week.

Recent moisture has improved topsoil moisture within the region. Currently, cropland topsoil moisture is 68 per cent adequate, 27 per cent short and five per cent very short. Hayland topsoil moisture is 70 per cent adequate, 22 per cent short and eight per cent very short. Pasture topsoil moisture is 54 per cent adequate, 23 per cent short and 23 per cent very short.

Overall, pasture conditions have shown improvements in conditions from earlier reports in the region. Currently, 18 per cent of pastures are in excellent condition, 29 per cent are in good condition, 19 per cent are fair, 8 per cent are poor and 26 per cent are very poor.

Crop damage over the past week was mainly due to the impacts from reduced moisture combined with the increased temperature. Minor to moderate crop damage was reported from hail and wind. Grasshoppers, gophers and deer caused minor crop damage over the past week. As canola continues to mature within the region, sclerotinia stem rot development is still being reported.

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