Alberta Crop Report: Much-needed moisture replenishes province

Glacier FarmMedia—The rains that fell onto south, central and northeastern Alberta during the week ended May 14 were a mixed blessing for growers according to the provincial government’s crop report released on May 17.

Seeding was 32.5 per cent complete for major crops in Alberta as of May 14, compared to 15.7 per cent one week earlier. While the rains hindered planting progress in the eastern half of the province, the moisture will benefit crops in the long-term. Meanwhile, northwestern Alberta and the Peace region saw little to no rainfall, but seeding there continued its rapid pace.

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Planting in the south region was the most advanced at 50.2 per cent complete, up 13.5 points from last week. The Peace region gained 22.4 points at 40.7 per cent, while central Alberta was at 29.5 per cent, up from 14.1 per cent the week before. Northwest Alberta completed 21.9 per cent of its seeding compared to just 3.9 per cent the previous week, while planting in northeastern Alberta has fallen behind the most at 18.9 per cent, up from 2.7 per cent seven days earlier.

Alberta’s dry pea crop completed 62.1 per cent of seeding, compared to 44.9 per cent for spring wheat, 32.6 per cent for barley, 15 per cent for oats and 14.9 per cent for canola. Emergence of major crops was at six per cent, compared to the five- and 10-year averages of three per cent. In southern Alberta, emergence was at 15 per cent.

Except for the Peace region, the recent precipitation helped replenish surface soil moisture across Alberta, rating 71.8 per cent good to excellent, better than the previous week’s figure of 58.1 per cent and above the five-year (58 per cent) and 10-year averages (63 per cent). Surface soil moisture in northeastern Alberta was at 88 per cent good to excellent, up 12 points from last week, while the Peace region was at 42 per cent, down six points from the week before.

As for subsoil moisture, the province was rated at 58 per cent good to excellent, 58 per cent at around the five- and 10-year averages. While southern Alberta made the biggest improvement at 14 points, only 50 per cent was rated good to excellent compared to 71 per cent in the northeast.

Pasture growth conditions were rated 53.3 per cent good to excellent across the province, up from the 46.4 per cent five-year average. Central Alberta was rated the highest at 60 per cent, while the northwest went from zero per cent to 33 per cent in one week. Conditions in the Peace region were the worst at 31 per cent.

Tame hay conditions were four points better than the five-year average at 47 per cent good to excellent with the best in central Alberta at 67 per cent and the worst in the Peace region at 31 per cent.