The crop variety trials set up on Don Payak's farm southwest of Weyburn are available for viewing by any interested farmers, but there will be no guided tour of the plots this year.

The plots were planted and marked in conjunction with Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food's Weyburn office, which is providing information pamphlets at their office and at the crop trial site, said agrologist Elaine Moats.

To reach the farm, go south of Weyburn 10 kilometres on Highway 35, 6 km west and 2.5 km south.

The variety trials are marked and are along the road, including wheat, oats, barley and lentils. There are no flax varieties this year, and one row of lentils was damaged by a herbicide spray early in the spring.

The crop varieties are valuable to see at this time of year, as producers can compare differences in height and growth rates, resistance to diseases and the different maturity dates, to see what varieties might work the best for their land, said Moats. Information pamphlets about the varieties are available at a small mailbox located near the plots.

There will be no guided tours of the plots this year as the agrologists' office is unusually busy this summer, said Moats. She has been kept busy checking out a variety of crop diseases as well as taking part in other crop tours.

Area farmers are also busy right now as some early-seeded crops will be harvested earlier than usual, and haying is running late due to the high levels of moisture.