Initial good moisture followed by an extended period of hot, dry weather during harvest led to a high-quality crop in 2003, although with a smaller yield than average.

In the final crop report of the season issued by Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, the 2003 growing year is expected to yield a total harvest of 20.3 million tonnes of the major grains, oilseeds and specialty crops.

This total is 14 per cent lower than the 10-year average production total, but is also 36 per cent above the totals for 2002.

In terms of quality, however, the 2003 crop is far above most years, mostly due to the ideal dry, hot weather throughout the harvest period from early August until October.

Weather, as in most years, played a major factor in the Weyburn district as well, said extension agrologist Elaine Moats.

"It was one of those things where you're coming into the spring, after a fall that was a real mixed bag of whether or not people were able to finish their harvest. I wonder if we over-estimated the amount of soil moisture; it's one of those situations where had we had a timely rain in June and July we would've had a great crop this year," said Moats.

For the most part, the crops in the Weyburn region that did poorly were those which were seeded in the latter part of seeding time.

Grasshoppers were the primary insect to cause problems in the Weyburn district, along with flea beetles. Hoppers first became a problem in fields where they hatched at the time crops were emerging, which didn't really become evident until the plants grew larger, said the agrologist.

"Heat was a factor with the yield, but as it started early in the growing season, the plants basically absorbed all the extra plant material, so we didn't get a grade loss. In those areas where they were fortunate to get timely rains, they saw good yields," said Moats, adding the warm, dry weather was ideal for harvesting, and took a lot of time pressure off of producers that they normally have in other years.

As the weather lasted well into October, Moats said a lot of fall work was completed, more so than in most years. The main problem caused was for those producers who like to do fall fertilizing; the dryness of the fields made it all but impossible to do fertilizing, as anhydrous ammonia requires some moisture in the ground to attach to.

Sask. Ag and Food estimates that the spring wheat crop will be 84 per cent No. 1, far exceeding the 10-year average of 52 per cent of the crop grading No. 1. Durum is expected to have 77 per cent grading at No. 1, compared to 35 per cent in the 10-year average.

In oats, about 40 per cent of the crop is expected to grade No. 1, compared to the 10-year average of 27 per cent, and malting barley is expected to have 39 per cent in the top grade compared to 31 per cent. About 93 per cent of the flax crop will grade No. 1, compared to 84 per cent in the 10-year average. Canola, which suffered somewhat from greenseed this year, should have 80 per cent of the crop grade as No. 1 this year, compared to the average level of 77 per cent.