Well, it hasn't been a perfect week for harvest in our area of Saskatchewan. We did manage to get going on Saturday in peas. We hauled them directly into the terminal and no more worries. Then Sunday we finished the sandridge and rest of peas at home.
But Monday the wheels fell off the bus and we have been sitting ever since.
Total rainfall for the year is now at 13 inches since spring. North about three miles and east over 15. Yea we are back to being wet. Last nights total is 1/4 inch so far.
Total harvested area is 5%. Which for our area will be about right to maybe a little higher than some. Provincially if it's 12% that would be all. One friend said he drove from Saskatoon all way to Yorkton then on to Dauphin total combines he could count on his hand going Sunday.
PLAN B.
It does look like we have one more day of ugly wet weather and then a week maybe of good (ok average) weather. But with all the moisture around wet dew and fog could be morning issues next week and as soon as the sun goes down boom your done.
Lots are scrambling to figure out what to do. Some neighbours have never been this far behind harvesting. Some neighbours have no grain drying ability. It's not going to be good.
Roads are soft and back roads won't hold trucks now with this much moisture. So plan B.
It's farming you have to adjust, but this sucks.
Ok, here we go.
HRS is all but done fall Management Plus. But some fields were just done Saturday which will mean harvest is last week of September. Not the round of beautiful weather coming next week. Others have crop swath, and the Geese have decided to enjoy plus swaths are being pushed down with rain. Grades will be dropping on all cereals. The early yield on sandridge was good, but it seems the heat at the end of July/August did hurt weak areas badly. This is our worst land, so the rest will be interesting. When we get going again, we will be taking HRS tough and running it through the dryer. Will bag for short term and then out to dryer or fill all existing aeration and then dry. Hopefully, the wind picks up and fields dry out, so this process only has to be for a few days.
Peas yes peas are still not done in our area. Even the odd field of lentils isn't done. Wet weather is not helping. Fields are getting flat now and will be a challenge. Also, pod spit will happen after this rain event. Yields will be dropping. I will stick with the 8-year rule as fields I harvested that didn't have peas before or for eight years are almost double the fields seeded on 4-year-old pea ground. Something is up in the soil and its causing problems in wet areas. We have two later seeded fields that will go first once the rains quit and the sun comes out.
Flax, the worst crop of the year in our area, still looks ugly, and yield will be piss poor. Some fields are sprayed out already.
Oats a few fields are harvested before the rain, but most are turning and should be taken real soon once it drys out. Yields are less than last year in most fields.
Barley some is in the swath some is standing ready to go, and some are flat on the ground. Malt is going to be a real issue, and it is lighter than usual from early harvest results.
Canola is all over the map odd field came off the bloom, and some is turning. Some patches are turning rest is green. Other fields are drying down typically. But the flower blast is now showing up as areas have pods missing. Rain makes grain at certain times of the growing year and makes mud in others. Yield won't touch last year, but some fields will be great, some good and few ugly. Some swathing has started, but timing is all over the map. Some spraying is also happening on greener than typical fields so not sure what green seed count will be. Again Yield will be down in our area on Canola compared to last year. One more week of no killing frost and quite a few guys will be ok. Three more weeks no killing frost and all will be ok.
Pastures are coming back to life really good and still some greenfeed to cut and bale. Others are hauling bales.
Continued!
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