Seeding underway in southeast, but little progress made

The provincial Ministry of Agriculture released the first crop report for the year Thursday, and as many would expect, things are a bit behind in the southeast part of the province. Thanks to snowstorms and cool weather, few producers have been able to get out into the field for pre-seed spraying or even seeding itself.  

Just one percent of the 2022 crop is planted so far in the southeast, which is well below the five-year average for the region of 6 percent. Some producers are reporting that they are around seven to 10 days from being able to start seeding in earnest.  

The precipitation received over the winter, and in the spring, has improved the topsoil conditions in the southeast corner of the province. For cropland, the topsoil moisture is rated as 7 percent surplus, 80 percent adequate, 10 percent short and 3 percent very short. For hay land and pasture topsoil, the moisture is rated as 1 percent surplus, 78 percent adequate, 18 percent short and 3 percent very short.  

Overall, the moisture levels are considered to be currently adequate for germination, but this will change with warmer temperatures and strong winds.  

When it comes to pastures, many producers have expressed concerns about the conditions. They are rated as 10 percent good, 29 percent fair, 36 percent poor and 25 percent very poor. Producers are waiting for warm weather and light rain to help speed up the pasture growth. This will allow grazing, and reduce the need for supplementation with winter feed supplies. 

The upcoming winter wheat and fall rye crops are also being looked at. Areas that saw poor snow cover over the winter are reporting winter kill. It is estimated. 19 percent of the winter wheat crop and 13 percent of the fall rye crop were killed off over the winter.