Concern about possibility of winter kill on forage crops resurfacing

Posted on March 2, 2026 by Ryan Dahlman

By Marcus Day

Maple Creek News

Concern has been expressed about the potential impact of the extended period of warm weather on forage crops.

Ken Wall, an agronomist with Federated Co-operatives, said one possible issue was winter kill.

If winter kill occurs, it can destroy turfgrass, crops or plants.

“Then you are reseeding,” he said.

Wall was a speaker at a Pioneer Co-op forage/livestock meeting on Thursday, February 12, at Cobble Creek Lodge.

Other speakers were Chad Keisig, DLF Canada; Erika Olsen, from Brett Young; Alanna Jonson, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, on forage programming; Richard Dyck, Sask Crop Insurance, on forage programming; and Chelsey Siemens, from the Ministry of Agriculture, on the effects of stress events and nitrate accumulation.

About 30 cattle producers from around the region attended the all-day event, which included lunch.

Wall, who brought in the speakers, delivered a slideshow presentation on forage agronomy.

Afterwards, he told the News-Times about the importance of forages.

“Forages are very important because we are growing crops to feed the cattle. That is a great source of protein and really works well with the environment.”

He said forages help produce beef for Canada and the world.

“There are lots of good reasons to grow forages.”

Wall went on to say he was worried about the warm weather, pointing out that some forages – such as a legume like alfalfa – are perennials that can break dormancy. If a cold spell follows, forage crops could be at risk. One issue is winter kill, said Wall.

Once it breaks dormancy, starts growing, and then the weather plunges to -30- or -35, it can prove destructive, leading to reseeding.

This is something that the region has experienced before, in 2021 and 2023.

“If I am growing forages and farming in this country, I look for good winters, without a lot of warm weather, not really cold,” Wall said. “My ideal winter would be -10 to 15 inches, lots of snow, melt in middle of April. Then it warms up. We don’t need a lot of rain, we would be happy with 10 or 12 inches of rain. Maybe as little as eight if you get it at the right time, so it benefits the crop. You get a really good crop.”

Wall, who ranches south of Swift Current, said last year he seeded 100 acres.

“We happened to get rain right when we seeded it. We got one more shot for a month and a half after that and we ended up with nine inches in the fall, which was too late for everything else, but with that forage crop we ended up with a bumper crop, because we got rain at the right time. That was luck.”

Sometimes ranchers and farmers can create their own luck.

“I always tell guys if you are going to fertilize your forage stands watch the forecast, especially if you are putting nitrogen out. You want the nitrogen to get washed into the surface within days otherwise you are going to lose nitrogen. If you know a big system is coming through go out and spread your nitrogen. Hopefully, that rain comes within the next two or three days.”

Wall’s speech also focused on the importance of gopher control and weed control.

If gophers gain a foothold, that can lead to badgers. Without proper management, the problems will perpetuate themselves.

“I always tell guys to make sure you control weeds before you seed your forage crops,” Wall said.

• Pioneer Co-op will hold another meeting for ranchers and farmers on March 3. The theme wil be chemicals.