By rdnewsNOW staff

Crop Report

Majority of crops already seeded in central Alberta

May 22, 2020 | 3:56 PM

Officials with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry say precipitation across the province has been varied over the last month.

In this period, western parts of the Southern and Central Regions as well as western and central parts of the North West Region and southern counties in the Peace Region received at least 40 mm of accumulated precipitation, with up to 80 mm in some areas.

However, a large area in the Peace Region, the eastern parts of the North West and most parts of the Southern, Central and North East Regions have seen less than 20 mm of rain.

Officials say rain in the forecast is welcome in the eastern half of the province to promote active growth for both crops and forages, while it is expected to increase excessive soil moisture, particularly in the Peace and North West Regions.

Over the past week, producers across the province benefited from favourable dry weather conditions to advance seeding, with the most progress occurring in the Central Region with 32 per cent, followed by the North East and Southern Regions with 23 and 14 per cent progress, respectively.

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Seeding progress was lowest in the North West and Peace Regions, respectively, with nearly two and four per cent.

Provincially, as of May 19, about 62 per cent of all crops have been seeded, above the 5-year average (2015-2019) of 59 per cent.

Regionally, seeding progress is ahead of the 5-year average in the Central, North East and Southern Regions (respectively by 13, 6 and 5 per cent), while it is behind in the Peace and North West Regions (respectively by 17 and 10 per cent).

Both provincial and regional seeding progress are well ahead of 2017, which was a similar spring in Alberta, with both seeding of new crops and harvesting overwintered crops at the same time.

Good weather conditions over the past week also led to additional combining of overwintered acres from the 2019 crop season, but it is still challenging in some areas, particularly in the North West Region and some parts of the Peace Region.

As of May 19, about four per cent of unharvested spring wheat acres across the province, 3 per cent of barley, 10 per cent of oats and 5 per cent of the canola acres still remain in the field.

Pasture and tame hay are generally in good shape across the province. Compared to the 5-year averages, both pasture and tame hay conditions have improved by 15 per cent.

Pasture conditions (tame hay conditions are in brackets) across the province are now reported as 7 (7) per cent poor, 24 (26) per cent fair, 64 (62) per cent good and 5 (5) per cent excellent.

Rain in the forecast and the expected warmer temperatures are welcome to promote growth in pasture and tame hay fields.

In Region Two, Central (Rimbey, Airdrie, Coronation, Oyen), seeding is in full swing in the region and progressed by 32 per cent over the past week to 72 per cent of all crops now completed, with six per cent emerged.

Warmer temperatures and rain are needed for germination of crops.

Nearly 80 per cent of spring wheat, 65 per cent of barley and canola, 87 per cent of dry peas, 85 per cent of chickpeas and 79 per cent of lentils are reported as seeded.

Overwintered crops in the region have almost been harvested, with only two per cent of spring wheat left.

The quality of combined 2019 cereals ranges from 50 to 86 per cent good feed, while 81 per cent of canola is graded at No. 3 Canada or better.

Surface soil moisture is rated at 4 per cent poor, 19 per cent fair, 59 per cent good and 18 per cent excellent.

Fall seeded crops are rated as 1 per cent poor, 17 per cent fair, 81 per cent good and 1 per cent excellent.

(With files from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry)