Lack of rain means Saskatchewan producers get a head start on seeding

While Saskatchewan’s final snowfall may have melted just days ago, it isn’t stopping farmers from hitting the ground running.

Todd Lewis has been farming south of Gray Sask. for the last 45 years and over his time in the field, he has seen his share of dry conditions.

“Through the late 1980s was exceptionally dry,” Lewis said thinking back. “Even in the early 2000s we had a couple of really dry years there.”

In 2024, those dry conditions mean a head start on seeding for many producers across the province.

Normally Lewis aims for a start date of May 1 — but on Friday, his family began seeding over 10,000 acres for the season.

“These are some pretty big days where farmers are putting tens of thousands of dollars into the ground… we sure hope we have days on the other end where we are putting money back into the bin,” Lewis said.

Lewis said the way technology has advanced over the last two decades has allowed producers to begin seeding earlier in the year and come away with better crops.

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“Back in those dry years in the late 80s, in this area south of number one highway, we really couldn’t grow canola with the old varieties,” Lewis said. “Now it is common practice to see canola in these areas and south of here too.”

Across southern Saskatchewan, very dry conditions exist after a winter with minimal snow and a 2023 summer with hardly any rain. Crops extension specialist Matthew Struthers said topsoil moisture levels could quickly deplete if rain doesn’t come soon.

“Right now the name of the game is moisture,” Struthers said. “If you have it, you’re all right. If you don’t, you’re hoping it rains here soon. Producers just hoping for good weather. Hopefully, we get some dark clouds down here in the southwest and we get some rain.”

He went on to say soil temperature is also very important when it comes to early seeding.

“Depending on what crop you’re putting in and the frost risk coming out of the spring, there is a lot of risk going too early,” Struthers said. “But understandably, sometimes you just have the itch and you got to get going.”

“On the other hand, maybe you extend your harvest season if you wait because that seed is going to have to work so much harder to grow.”

As for Lewis, he hopes rain is on the way soon, even if it delays the final days of seeding.

“We certainly won’t be sad about a rain delay this spring if we get some rain in a week or ten days and half to stop seedling. That will be fine.”