AG Zone Seeding Report: Why Management Matters
May 22, 2025.
Every spring, Saskatchewan’s AG Zone tells a different story — and this year is no exception. With boots on the ground from Prince Albert to Redvers and everywhere in between, it’s clear: this province’s farmland is as diverse in its conditions as its political views. And when it comes to seeding success, water management is the critical game changer.
A Landscape as Varied as the Weather
The AG Zone isn’t flat, nor is it uniform. It’s a complex patchwork of soil types, elevations, and microclimates — especially in the prairie pothole region, where millions of acres of wetlands intersect with our most productive cropland. Farmland depressions, when managed well, recharge water tables, prevent crop drown-outs, and support timely seeding. Left unmanaged, they become a major obstacle.
Saskatchewan farmers don’t just steward crops — they host abundant seasonal habitat for migratory birds, including millions of acres of temporary, seasonal, and permanent water. And interestingly, it’s often the farmed-through depressions that attract the birds more than the traditional cattail wetlands.
– Farmed through wet land, providing important recharge, flow control and the preferred migratory habitat.
What Producers Are Seeing on the Ground
Reports from across the province highlight the diversity in conditions and underscore just how essential responsible water management is:
- Prince Albert: 75% seeded, some farmers are done. Early start to seeding, drier than normal, minimal surface water. Biggest concern: lack of heat units, moisture.
- Kipling: 30% seeded. Wet spring, delayed by snowmelt and rain, fields too wet to access. Fill-and-spill water everywhere. Biggest concern: logistics of uneven, multi-pass seeding.
- Grenfell: Grenfell north – managed field conditions are excellent, unmanaged areas are waterlogged. Controlled drainage makes a visible difference. Biggest concern: reduced efficiency of unmanaged fields.
- Leross: 50% seeded. Excellent topsoil moisture, tile drainage is working extremely well- protecting soil and germinating crops. Biggest concern: delayed germination (cool weather), seed treatment timelines, risk of high flea beetle pressure.
- Calder: 40% seeded. Unmanaged potholes are spilling. One more inch of rain could be a disaster. Biggest concern: bad weather comes and goes but policy is a concern.
- Quill Lakes: 85% complete. Tile drainage handled the spring melt well. One inch of rain would improve conditions — dry but manageable (so far).
- Yorkton: 65% done seeding. Right on schedule, moisture slightly below average.
- Spyhill: 40% seeded. Huge difference between managed and unmanaged fields. Managed fields are seeding-ready; unmanaged ones are still running water. Biggest concern: unmanaged fields are creating downstream issues (not the drained fields!).
- Langenburg: 30% complete. Topsoil moisture is high, with temporary water filling depressions. Biggest concern: heat units, unseeded areas.
- Atwater: 50% seeded. Best spring yet for tile drainage – goals of slow water release, maximum soil recharge, and removing excess water with zero erosion are met 100%. Seeding operations continue thanks to water management. Biggest concern: unmanaged land, seeding around water filled potholes in the dark.
- Redvers: 98% seeded, most farms are 50-75%. Dry start but now 8 days of rain delay, ranging from 2.5” – 5”. Biggest concern: heat to advance the crop!
- Antler: 75% complete. Wet but not a problem due to proper drainage. Huge difference between managed and unmanaged areas. Biggest concern: making sure people understand the importance managing water.
- North Battleford: Seeding complete. Bone dry. Only 2/10″ of rain. Serious concern: topsoil is powder, canola germination, moisture.
- Melfort: Seeding 95% complete. Cereals are up, 1mm of rain since snow melt, strange for this area to be this dry. Biggest concern: topsoil moisture is depleted- badly needed for canola.
What We Know
These real-time updates make it clear: huge variability in conditions and when water is well-managed, productivity follows. Drainage infrastructure — whether surface or tile — isn’t about removing habitat. It’s about preserving farmland, preventing loss, and enabling Saskatchewan producers to keep growing food. The AG Zone needs flexible, regionally responsive policy that supports innovation and stewardship — not one-size-fits-all rules that fail to reflect ground realities.
As we look ahead to the next few weeks of this growing season, the biggest concerns range from drought to flooding — sometimes both within the same region. But what all farmers agree on is that managed fields are more efficient, productive, and resilient.
Let’s keep advocating for smart, balanced policy that protects both agriculture and the environment — and keeps the AG Zone at its best.
