Glacier FarmMedia – Warm temperatures helped keep crop conditions well above average in Alberta during the week ended July 9, although heat stress could become a concern without cooler temperatures and more precipitation in the weeks ahead, according to the latest provincial crop report.
Major crops in the province held steady at 74.0 per cent good-to-excellent during the week, which compares with the five-year average of 62.5 per cent good-to-excellent for this time of year.
On a crop-by-crop basis, spring wheat was rated 78.4 per cent good-to-excellent, followed by dry peas at 77.4 per cent, barley at 76.9 per cent, oats at 73.9 per cent and canola at 67.4 per cent.
Read Also
U.S. livestock: Feeder cattle extend rally to new highs
Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle futures extended gains to record highs on Wednesday while live cattle futures set a contract high before pulling back.
Major spring cereals continued to develop at a rate near historical averages. On average, spring wheat was reported at the early stages of head emergence, barley was at the late stages of booting and oats were at the early stages of booting
Limited precipitation over the week combined with warm air temperatures led to a weekly decrease in surface moisture across all regions of the province. Provincial surface soil moisture good-to-excellent ratings were reported as 66 per cent, which was above the five-year average of 60 per cent.
Provincial sub-surface moisture was 54 per cent good-to-excellent which was only one point below the five-year average.
