Alberta crops holding their own for now

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Published: July 19, 2024

File photo of stormy conditions over Alberta fields. (Larry Stickney/iStock/Getty Images)

Glacier FarmMedia – Alberta reported its crops were still in good shape despite temperatures pushing above 30 degrees Celsius and a lack of rain as of July 16. The report put the overall rating for the province’s crops at 74 per cent good to excellent, seven points above the five-year average.

However, some crops were showing signs of stress such as heat blast in canola, flowering prematurely or dropping tillers. The report warned that the continuing heatwave could erode yield projections.

Crop ratings saw the central region drop 15 points at 62 per cent good to excellent, while Peace River dipped one point at 73 per cent. On the plus side, the south gained five points at 82 per cent good to excellent, the north west added nine points at 72 per cent, the north east tacked on one point at 72 per cent.

Read Also

Photo: Fotokostic/Getty Images Plus

Artificial intelligence put to work on extension

Farm Credit Canada and Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) have unveiled a generative artificial intelligence tool called Root

Among the cereals province-wide, durum rated 82 per cent good to excellent with spring wheat and barley at 73 per cent and oats at 70.

For the oilseeds, mustard and flax were at 83 per cent good to excellent with the canola at 72 per cent.

As for the pulses, dry beans led at 94 per cent good to excellent, followed by lentils at 82 per cent, dry peas at 79 per cent and chickpeas at 75 per cent.

Alberta’s potatoes rated 84 per cent good to excellent, the tame hay was at 62 per cent, and pastures were 63 per cent.

Surface soil moisture levels rated provincially at 11 per cent poor, 28 per cent fair, 55 per cent good, and six per cent excellent. The report noted levels have declined in the Peace River, north west and south, while improving in the north east and central regions.

Moisture levels for the sub-surface soil were 18 per cent poor, 36 per cent fair, 43 per cent good and four per cent excellent.

explore

Stories from our other publications