Harvest virtually done in central Alberta

Officials say pastures are going dormant and livestock producers are expecting to use straw, hay, pellets and greenfeed for winter feed. Pasture conditions are rated as 37 per cent poor, 29 per cent fair, 33 per cent good, and one per cent excellent.

About 91 per cent of total dryland tame hay in the region was from first cut, with the average yield (5-year averages shown in brackets) at 1.4 (1.3) tons per acre. The remaining nine per cent was from second cut, with yield at 1.2 (1.4) tons per acre. For irrigated hay, first cut hay accounted for 70 per cent of the total, with yield reported at 2 (2.3) tons per acre, while second cut hay accounted for 30 per cent, with yield at 1.2 (1.1) tons per acre.

Fall fieldwork is said to be progressing in most parts of the province, while harvest is almost three weeks ahead. Provincially, about 96 per cent of crops have been harvested, 32 per cent ahead of the 5-year average and 22 per cent ahead of the 10-year average. About two per cent of crops are in swath, and another two per cent are still standing.

Regionally, harvest is wrapping up in the South, Central and North East Regions, where more than 98 per cent of crops are now in the bin. For the North West and Peace Regions, green crops from the second growth, mainly in canola fields, have delayed the completion of harvest.

Dryland yield estimates remained significantly below average across all regions. The provincial dryland 5-year yield index is estimated at 63, indicating that yields are 37 per cent below the 5-year averages. The highest yields are in the North West Region (but still 20 per cent below the 5-year averages), while the South Region has the lowest yield (56 per cent below the 5-year averages). The average yields for potatoes on dryland and irrigated fields are estimated at 11.6 and 15 tons per acre, respectively. For sugar beets, the average yield is estimated at 30 tonnes per acre, while for dry beans it is 27 cwt per acre.

Crop quality varies among regions. Provincially, quality for all crops is above their 5-year averages, with the exception of malting barley and oats, which are said to be below average. About 93 per cent of hard red spring wheat and 84 per cent of durum wheat are grading in the top two grades. About 28 per cent of barley is eligible for malt and 58 per cent is grading as No. 1 feed. For oats, about 59 per cent is grading in the top two grades, which is below the average. Almost 90 per cent of canola is grading as No. 1, with seven per cent as No. 2. For dry peas, 33 per cent is grading as No. 1, 54 per cent as No. 2, 10 per cent as No. 3 and three per cent as feed.

The majority of dryland hay in the province (about 92 per cent) was from the first cut, as many producers, particularly in the South and Peace Regions, failed to harvest a second cut, or harvested very little, and the remaining eight per cent was from the second cut. Dryland yield for first cut hay was estimated at 1.1 tons per acre, below the average of 1.5 tons per acre, while it was 0.9 ton per acre for second cut, compared to the 5-year average of 1.2 tons per acre. For irrigated hay, first cut accounted for 58 per cent of the total (with yield estimated at 2.1 tons per acre), second cut accounted for 38 per cent (with yield reported at 1.7 tons per acre), and third cut accounted for the remaining four per cent (with yield estimated at 0.5 ton per acre).

by rdnewsNOW Staff

Harvest virtually done in central Alberta

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