Crop Conditions as of July 15, 2004

Rainstorms were common throughout Alberta over the past several weeks. Amounts of moisture received varied from 10 mm in the northern Peace River Region, up to 225 mm in isolated areas of the North East, North West and southern Peace River Regions. Many storms were accompanied by hail, but damage reported was mostly scattered and light. Severe damage was reported in several localized areas of the North East and North West and Southern Regions. Provincial surface moisture conditions are now reported as 7% poor, 18% fair, 40% good, and 35% excellent. Overall, sub-surface moisture levels have improved, with 19% rated as poor, 40% fair, 31% good, and 10% excellent.

Crops remain in good to excellent condition, although there is still concern that without more rain in the next two weeks moisture reserves may not be adequate to prevent crop stress and yield loss. Most spring cereal crops are either in the final stages of head development, or completely headed out. Canola crops are in flower, with about 14% podding. The condition of the canola crop is rated at 7% poor, 23% fair, 51% good, and 19% excellent. Dry peas, rated as 3% poor, 20% fair, 59% good, and 18% excellent, have mostly flowered, with about 18% podding.

Pasture and tame hay growth has been slow. Provincially, pastures are rated at 30% poor, 36% fair, 30% good, and 4% excellent. The recent rains should improve pastures, but it is probably too late for much improvement in the hay crop. Tame hay growth is reported at 31% poor, 31% fair, 33% good, and 5% excellent. Provincially, first cut dryland haying operations are 35% complete, with yields ranging from 0.3 to 2.0 tons per acre, and averaging about 1.1 tons per acre. The recent rains have delayed haying operations and reduced the quality of any that was cut. Provincially, quality is reported at 17% poor, 35% fair, 40% good, and 8% excellent.

The rain and cool weather throughout most of the province has alleviated the anticipated grasshopper infestation in all but the Peace River Region. There is still concern about grasshoppers in the drier areas of the northern Peace. Provincially, only moderate insect damage to small amounts of crop has been reported. The only notable infestation has been severe flea beetle damage in about 40% of canola crops in the Peace River Region.

Special thanks go to members of the Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen and staff of AFSC for their contributions to the crop report.

REGIONAL ASSESSMENTS:
The 2004 Alberta Crop Report Series continues to provide summaries for the following five regions:

Region One: Southern (Strathmore, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Foremost)

• Rain in varying amounts has been received throughout the Region, accompanied by scattered hail storms which have caused severe damage in a few fields. Eastern areas will need more rain soon to prevent crop stress and maintain yield prospects. The cool wet weather has suppressed grasshoppers.
• Cereal crops are fully headed out and reported as being in good (55%) to excellent (20%) condition. Nearly all canola crops are at least in full flower, with about 32% podding out.
• Haying operations, delayed by the wet weather, are now in full swing. About 27% of dryland haying is complete, but much was rained on and quality is reduced. Pasture is reported as being in mostly fair (30%) to good (58%) condition with both surface and sub-surface moisture conditions rated good to excellent (55%).

• The central and western portions of the region received from 50 mm to 100 mm of rain over the past weeks with some reports of light hail damage. The eastern portion did not receive as much rain and while crops are presently in good to excellent condition, rain is needed over next couple of weeks to sustain them. Throughout the region 77% of sub-surface moisture conditions are rated at poor to fair.
• Cereal crops have responded to the recent rain and heat and are doing well, with 55% in good condition and 30% excellent condition. The majority of wheat has headed out, but other cereals are still in the first stages of head development. Canola is in good (69%) to excellent (16%) condition, with 84% in the flower stage, and about 8% podding.
• Hay crops are being cut, but the late rains and long cool spring have resulted in many short, thin stands and reduced yields, with quality in the fair to good range. Pasture growth is mainly poor to fair (76%), with only 22% rated as good.

• Rainfalls, varying from less than 25 mm up to 225 mm, but mostly in the 75 mm to 100 mm range were received during the past two weeks. There were some reports of hail damage, which varied from light to severe.
• Most cereals are in good (64%) to excellent (25%) condition. Barley, oat, and mixed grain crops are slow, with barley heads only half emerged, and oats and mixed grains not yet starting to head. Canola and dry peas are both around 84 per cent flowering, with some canola (6%) and peas (11%) podding.
• Only about 10% of the haying operations are complete and hay is reported to be of poor to fair quality, with only 20% being rated as good. Growth as been poor (51%) to fair (35%) and yields are low. Pasture is still in poor to fair condition.

• Rainfall of 75 mm to 150 mm, and in a few cases as high as 225 mm was reported throughout the Region. Scattered hail was common, however with the exception of some heavy damage in the Edmonton area, crops damage was light to moderate. Surface moisture is rated at 10% poor, 30% fair, 39% good, and 52% excellent. Subsurface moisture is rated at 10% poor, 30% fair, 39% good, and 21% excellent.
• Spring planted cereals crops are reported as good (54%) to excellent (30%). Canola and dry peas are mostly (70%) in flower, with about 8% of canola and 14% of dry peas podding.
• First cut haying operations are now about 70% complete. Most hay is of fair (34%) to good (37%) quality with 23% being reported as poor and 6% as excellent. Yields are low, with an average of 0.9 ton per acre.

• Most of the Region received some rain during the past two weeks, but northern areas are still very dry. Surface moisture conditions are reported as 16% poor, 22% fair, 29% good, and 33% excellent. Sub-surface levels are 41% poor, 36% fair, 21% good, and 2% excellent.
• Wheat crops are mostly headed out. Durum wheat is reported at 75% in good to excellent condition, and 21% as only fair. On the whole, crops are reported as doing well, but more rain is needed to maintain condition and prevent stress. Grasshoppers are causing significant concern, especially in the drier areas, and moderate to severe flea beetle damage is reported in about 40% of canola crops.
• Haying operations are 12% complete. Yields average 1.2 tons per acre of generally fair to good quality hay.

Other Documents in the Series