As of Sept. 8, repeated moisture and humidity continued to challenge crop maturity and quality across the North West Region, with northern areas reporting that some canola is still in flower.
Some crops are also being directed toward alternative uses like grazing, baling and other salvage options where using crops for grain is no longer economical.
That’s according to the latest crop report by the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) and the Government of Alberta.
While only six per cent of major crops have been harvested, 45 per cent of dry peas have been combined and 19 per cent of canola has been swathed to encourage ripening.
Meantime, sub-surface soil moisture (five-year average) is rated as zero (18) per cent poor, three (31) per cent fair, 38 (44) per cent good, 47 (seven) per cent excellent and 12 (zero) per cent excessive.
Pasture conditions (tame hay) are rated as one (zero) per cent poor, 25 (23) per cent fair, 57 (57) per cent good and 17 (20) per cent excellent.
Across the province, weekend showers continued to slow harvest progress and may decrease the quality of harvested grains, the AFSC reports. This, joined with cool temperatures, may keep some combines parked for several days.
Compared with last season’s hot and dry weather through late summer and fall, this season’s conditions have slowed harvest progress to well behind the five- and 10-year averages, particularly in the North East, North West and Peace regions; however, these three regions have swathed a considerable share of canola (27 per cent in the North East, 19 per cent in the North West and 22 per cent in the Peace) which may be ready for combining soon.
Over the past week, provincial major crop harvest progressed eight per cent and is now 18 per cent complete, 22 per cent behind last year’s progress. Provincial progress also reportedly remains behind the five- and 10-year averages of 40 and 30 per cent, respectively.
The South Region is 40 per cent complete combining (six per cent behind last year), the Central Region is 22 per cent complete (nine per cent behind last year), the North East Region is six per cent complete (36 per cent behind last year), the North West Region is six per cent complete (36 per cent behind last year) and the Peace Region is eight per cent complete (31 per cent behind last year).
With another two weeks of harvesting completed since the last reported yield indexes, the latest crop report says provincial major crops are expected to yield, on average, 19 per cent above their five-year average, compared with 20 per cent reported on Aug. 25.
The South and North West regions’ yield projections declined since two weeks ago and are now expecting major crops to yield 58 per cent above and nine per cent below their five-year averages, respectively.
At the same time, the Central, North East and Peace regions reported no change in yield expectations and are expected to yield 23, two and 10 per cent above their five-year averages, respectively.
Compared with last year, which resulted in a provincial record-setting harvest for many crops, the AFSC says the South and Peace regions are projected to yield above last year. The North East is expected to yield consistently with last year, compared to the five-year average, and the Central and North West regions are projected to yield below last year’s comparison to its historical averages.
Quality ratings for crops already in the bin show that, provincially, durum, barley, canola and dry peas are currently expected to have higher quality ratings than their five-year averages.
Meantime, while spring wheat ratings have been comparable to the five-year average, the report says oats are below. Currently, 63 per cent of spring wheat is rated one C.W., 72 per cent of durum is rated one C.W., 35 per cent of barley is rated malt quality and 56 per cent is rated one C.W., 14 per cent of oats are rated one C.W., 91 per cent of canola is rated one Can. and 27 per cent of peas are rated one C.W.
Soil moisture ratings improved notably over the previous week. According to the report, surface soil moisture is now rated 74 per cent good-to-excellent, up 18 per cent from last week and 38 and 26 per cent above the five- and 10-year averages, respectively.
Significant rainfall reportedly benefited the South Region, as it reported an increase of 46 per cent and is now rated 88 per cent good-to-excellent. This is also significantly above the five- and 10-year averages of 27 and 32 per cent.
The North West Region also saw significant rainfall. The region already had 29 per cent excessive moisture last week and reported a five per cent increase to excessive moisture, causing the good-to-excellent moisture rating to decrease to 65 per cent.
The Peace, North East and Central regions increased by two to nine per cent and are now rated 88, 72 and 58 per cent good-to-excellent, respectively.
Provincial sub-surface soil moisture increased seven per cent and is now rated 63 per cent good-to-excellent, 31 and 18 per cent above the five- and 10-year averages, respectively.
The AFSC also reports that the highest sub-surface soil moisture ratings were in the Peace and North West regions, at 92 and 85 per cent. The Central Region reported 47 per cent good-to-excellent, the North East Region reported 71 per cent and the South Region reported 55 per cent. Each regional rating is above its five-year average and above last year’s rating, except the Central Region, which is 20 per cent below last year’s sub-surface rating.
While precipitation over the last week challenged baling and harvest progress, officials say pasture growth welcomed the precipitation, and good-to-excellent conditions increased by nine per cent. Provincial pasture growth is now rated 48 per cent good-to-excellent, above the five- and 10-year averages of 27 and 37 per cent, respectively. This should help pastures maintain stocking rates into the fall.
The highest pasture ratings were reported in the North West, at 75 per cent good-to-excellent, while the lowest were in the Central Region, at 28 per cent.
Tame hay growth conditions reported a similar increase, with the provincial good-to-excellent rating now at 55 per cent, up eight per cent from last week and above the five- and 10-year averages of 30 and 43 per cent.
According to the report, tame hay growth conditions (five-year average) are currently rated 58 (20) per cent good-to-excellent in the South Region, 41 (36) per cent in the Central Region, 44 (20) per cent in the North East Region, 77 (36) per cent in the North West Region and 56 (34) per cent in the Peace Region.
Another 13 per cent of dryland second-cut hay was cut over the previous two weeks and is now 28 per cent complete provincially. This remains significantly behind the provincial five- and 10-year averages of 61 and 48 per cent, respectively.
While roughly half of the second cut is reported as complete in the South and Central regions, though still behind historical averages, only six and 25 per cent of the second cut is complete in the North East and North West regions, respectively.
Meantime, second-cut hay is rated 95 per cent good-to-excellent in the South, yielding 2.0 tons per acre; 48 per cent in the Central Region, yielding 1.8 tons per acre; 70 per cent in the North East, yielding 1.8 tons per acre; and 75 per cent in the North West, yielding 1.9 tons per acre.
The North West Region includes Barrhead, Drayton Valley, Edmonton, Leduc and Athabasca.
