Farmers in the southeast, particularly in the Weyburn area crop district, are behind other years in seeding progress, as very little work was possible due to rain showers.

Seeding overall is less than five per cent completed at this point, estimated extension agrologist Elaine Moats, with fields receiving anywhere from an inch and a half to three inches of rain, or an average of 40 millimetres, this week.

Generally more field work has been done on farms to the south and west of Weyburn than north and east of the city, she added, noting much depends on the type of topography and drainage of particular fields.

Of the fields which have been seeded, a significant number of acres have been seeded to peas and lentils, generally crops that are more frost-tolerant than cereal crops. Some seeding of forages has also been done in the area.

In addition, farmers have been doing spraying, rock-picking and harrowing the residue from last year's crops, and there has been a little bit of combining of last year's crops.

Provincially the average is eight per cent of seeding is completed, with the northeast area the most advanced at about 16 per cent of seeding done.

It's early enough in the season that if farmers get a stretch of dry, warm weather they will be able to make up the progress quickly, said Moats.

Asked if there was much winter wheat or fall rye seeded in this area, Moats said there hasn't been much success in this district.

"There's relatively little winter wheat seeded compared to the rest of the wheats, especially durum. The problem we have is we haven't been able to get the higher yields from winter wheat than from spring seeded wheat," said Moats, adding areas towards Stoughton and Fillmore generally see better yields.

Topsoil moisture conditions are generally reported to be very good or surplus in the Weyburn and neighbouring crop districts.

In the weekly rainfall summary for the week ending May 10, rainfall ranged from 24mm in the RM of Francis and 30mm in the RM of Cymri, to a high of 75mm in the RM of The Gap.

The RM of Tecumseh reported 31mm, Brock had 50mm, Weyburn reported 49mm, Brokenshell had 54mm, Fillmore recorded 32mm, Wellington had 37mm, Scott had 33mm, Caledonia had 48mm, Lake Alma reported 58mm of rain and Surprise Valley had 64mm.