CNS Canada — Cold temperatures that brought some snow and frost to some parts of Alberta overnight won’t likely cause much damage to crops.
“Most of our crops aren’t up yet; there’s been a fair bit of seeding going on, but I haven’t seen any emerged crops yet. So, it’s pretty much a non-issue at the moment,” said Harry Brook, crop specialist with the province’s Ag-Info Centre in Stettler.
According to data from Environment Canada, temperatures dropped as low as -3 C in some parts of southern and central Alberta such as Brooks and Camrose. The Edmonton area dropped down to -4 C, while temperatures reached minus -7 C at the eastern Alberta community of Esther, about 90 km west of Kindersley, Sask.
Read Also
Senft to step down as CEO of Seeds Canada
Barry Senft, the founding CEO of the five-year-old Seeds Canada organization is stepping down as of January 2026.
Though a lot of seeding progress has been made, most crops in Alberta haven’t emerged because soil temperatures are still on the cooler side.
“Soil temperatures are not that warm yet,” Brook said. “They’re between 5 and 10 C, so it’s warm enough for germination but it is slow growth.”
According to Brook, seeding is nearing completion in southern Alberta, while the central and Peace River regions are probably about 40 to 50 per cent complete.
An earlier start to the spring was helping to get seeding going before normal, with most farmers expected to finish by the second or third week in May.
“Guys aren’t really rushing a whole lot either because they realize the calendar is early,” Brook added.
Some farmers may have been a little bit too eager to start seeding this spring, though. Some very early-seeded fields of canola in Alberta may need to be reseeded due to the recent cold weather and frost, according to one canola trader.
Reseeding, however, will likely only be done in a few localized fields where canola crops have already emerged.
Most of the province will likely see crops starting to emerge in general later this week, as warmer temperatures are in the forecast. More moisture is needed for canola crops to come up, though, and warm weather will need to continue to keep crops safe from damage going forward.
“I would say from here on, at -4 or -5 C, the frost will cause damage,” Brook added.
— Terryn Shiells writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.
