Glacier FarmMedia – Crops throughout Alberta stood at 75 per cent good to excellent as of July 2, according to the latest crop report from the provincial agriculture department. That was eight points above the five-year average despite cooler than normal temperatures and delayed crop development due to excessive rain for most of the province so far this year.
By region ratings were from a low of 68 per cent good to excellent in the northwest to 82 per cent in central Alberta.
Spring wheat and durum led the cereals at 79 per cent good to excellent, with barley close behind at 78 per cent, then oats at 75 per cent. In terms of development the cereals were at the booting stage to stem elongation.
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Among the oilseeds, flax and mustard were the best off at 85 per cent good to excellent, while canola lagged at 67 per cent. Most of Alberta’s canola was in rosette development, but in the northeast, it was in the four to six leaf stage.
Dry beans, only grown in Alberta’s south, rated 95 per cent good to excellent, well ahead of the other pulses. Lentils were at 84 per cent good to excellent, followed by chickpeas and dry peas at 75 per cent.
The province’s potatoes were pegged at 85 per cent good to excellent.
Surface soil moisture levels ranked 75 per cent good to excellent, an improvement of 12 points since early May and 14 ahead of the five-year average.
At 43 per cent the Peace River region had the highest excellent for soil moisture in Alberta, with a good to excellent ranking of 89 per cent. Next was the northeast at 82 per cent good to excellent, the northwest at 77 per cent, central at 73 per cent and the south at 68 per cent.
Looking at it the other way around, the south was 31 per cent fair to poor, central at 27 per cent, the northwest at 17 per cent, the northeast at 15 per cent and Peace River at seven per cent.
The province’s pastures rated 74 per cent good to excellent, led by the northwest at 83 per cent and the northeast at 80 per cent. The central region was at 78 per cent good to excellent, with Peace River at 73 per cent and the south at 65 per cent.
The crop report said Alberta’s tame hay was 74 per cent good to excellent. The first cut of hay ranged from three per cent complete in the northeast to 19 per cent in the south, with 56 per cent irrigated hay cut.
With higher temperatures in the weather outlook crop conditions are expected to improve.
