Initial swathing of winter wheat, fall rye and peas have begun in the southeast area as the weather was generally very hot and dry over the past week.

Overall, one per cent of the crop in the southeast has been combined and a further four per cent has been swathed. Broken down, 13 per cent of winter wheat, 15 per cent of fall rye, and eight per cent of peas have been combined, and pulse crops are being desiccated, according to Sask. Ag and Food's crop report.

Heat and drought stress is starting to be reported across the region, and is causing a drop in crop yield.

In a preliminary estimate for this year's upcoming harvest, Sask. Ag has predicted a total production of 30.1 million tonnes in Saskatchewan, which is 26 per cent above the 10-year average.

Broken down by crop, the largest crop is expected to be spring wheat at 8.85 million tonnes, followed by barley at 5.85 million tonnes; durum, at 4.15 million tonnes; oats at 1.7 million tonnes; canola at 4.15 million tonnes; field peas at 2.6 million tonnes; and lentils, at 1.1 million tonnes.

A total of 190,000 tonnes of winter wheat is predicted, along with 165,000 tonnes of fall rye, 35,000 tonnes of triticale, 800,000 tonnes of flax, 190,000 tonnes of mustard, 15,000 tonnes of sunflowers, 250,000 tonnes of canary seed and 80,000 tonnes of chickpeas.

The harvest will come off of a total area of 34.08 million acres, up from the 10-year average of 31.7 million acres.

Most crops are reported in good to excellent condition, but all crops deteriorated somewhat in the heat of the past two weeks, except for sunflowers.

For crop development, 78 per cent of spring cereals are rated as normal and 17 per cent as ahead, oilseeds are 76 per cent normal and 19 per cent ahead, pulse crops are 70 per cent normal and 22 per cent ahead, and fall cereals are 80 per cent normal, with 17 per cent ahead of normal development.

Topsoil moisture conditions has deteriorated over the past week under the hot sun, with 33 per cent of crop reporters rating moisture as adequate, down from 61 per cent last week. Conditions have also deteriorated on hay and pasture land, with only 28 per cent of reporters rating moisture as adequate compared to 54 per cent last week.

First-cut haying is about 85 per cent baled or silaged, with another 11 per cent lying in the swath, with quality expected to be good to excellent. Most crop reporters do not expect a second cut, while some second cut haying has begun with 12 per cent baled and seven per cent cut in the southeast area.

Some insect damage has been reported from aphids, flea beetles, saw flies in wheat crops, and diamondback moth larvae in canola fields, along with painted lady butterfly larvae.

Rainfall was very scattered in the southeast area in the past week, with most RMs reporting no rain at all. The RM of Cymri reported 8 millimetres of rain, Tecumseh and The Gap had 1 mm, Lake Alma reported 18 mm and Surprise Valley 22 mm.