Saskatchewan desperately needs widespread rain and cooler temperatures to offset the effects of the current heatwave and improve soil conditions. Moisture levels dropped sharply in the past week. To improve crop and pasture growth rain is needed.
Agriculture Knowledge Centre’s Crop Extension Specialist Shannon Friesen and one of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Livestock and Feed Specialist Jenay Werle infer knowledge about the recent dry spell and what producers will expect to see if the hot weather continues. “The long-term forecast is showing that we can likely expect the dry weather to continue, but hopefully the hot heat is done for a while,” commented Friesen.
Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture are rated 24 percent adequate, 36 percent short and 40 percent very short. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated 31 percent adequate, 42 percent short and 27 percent very short. “The soil is so dry that we will need very large amounts of rain to replenish the topsoil and the subsoil. Any rain we do receive in the coming weeks will help crops fill and pastures and hay land grow,” explained Friesen.
Recent reports show topsoil moisture across Saskatchewan has and continues to decline. This is because of very high temperatures and non-stop winds. Heat and dry conditions created the majority of the past week’s crop damage along with wind, insects and gophers.
Hay operations have been delayed because of dry and cooler temperatures earlier this year accompanying moisture limitations. Quality levels were marked at seven percent excellent, 38 percent good, 45 percent fair and 10 percent poor. There is some concern surrounding supporting cattle throughout the summer without more rain.
“Dry conditions are a challenge for livestock producers when grazing summer pastures, but they also affect winter feed inventories as well. Since we have seen a few dry years in a row now, many producers have increased their use of annual crops for forage over perennial crops. Annuals may produce a greater amount of forage with less moisture. The best way to manage limited feed supplies is to feed test,” said Werle. Feed tests allow producers to understand the quality of the feed they have on hand. It can also guide decisions on purchasing extra feed in the most economical way. “Producers might also consider selling animals to match their herd size to available feed inventories, as buying extra feed during a shortage is costly,” commented Werle.
Producers should be also aware of the impact of dry conditions on water quality. When summer water sources are not recharged through spring rainfall and runoff, minerals often concentrate in the water. This negatively impacts the general health and reproduction of livestock. “All Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture offices have water probes to screen samples which can then be sent to the Roy Romanow Provincial Lab in Regina for analysis if screening indicates a problem,” explained Werle. These services are free of charge when health and welfare of livestock may be impacted by poor water quality, and the producer is registered for a premises identification (PID) number.
The dry and high-temperature conditions are influencing crop quality and crop development. The majority of crop qualities were rated in fair to good condition, with over half of the crop at its normal stages of development. Recently, more and more producers have stood by as many canola fields have been rapidly maturing. With only being eight inches tall, the plants are already flowering.
“Any crops that are flowering during hot temperatures will likely see the damage, although we do not know what the yield impact will be until harvest. Crops like canola that are flowering will be impacted by heat blasting, which is essentially an abortion of the flowers and pods, leading to yield loss. If nighttime temperatures are below 20, the crop has a chance to recover, but only time will tell this year. Typical damage will be missing pods and flowers and quicker maturation overall,” said Friesen.
The stress the crops are under is dangerous due to the dry conditions. The plants are looking to set seeds as quickly as possible. This will impact the yield in the fall. Yet, in Saskatchewan, 62% of fall cereals, 81% of spring cereals. 70% of oilseed crops and 81% of pulses are developing normally.
If growing conditions are superb after the heatwave, crops will continue to grow and mature as normal. The crop will fill out the rows; pods and heads will have a healthy green colour. If the damage was severe, the crop will continue to mature very quickly and will not properly fill out.
“The long-term forecast is showing that we can likely expect the dry weather to continue, but hopefully the hot heat is done for a while,” concluded Friesen. Producers should be scanning their fields to analyze the damage and take the proper next steps to ensure the best outcome. Vigilance is all that farmers can do until it decides to rain. Producers looking for more information are encouraged to contact the Saskatchewan Agriculture Knowledge Centre number at 1-866-457-2377.