Crop Conditions as of May 9, 2017 (Abbreviated Report)

Good progress has been made on the harvest of the 2016 snowed under acres with 31% now removed, up from 7% last week. Approximately 820,000 acres still remain to be handled. Currently, 30% remain unharvested in the Central region, 65% in the North East, 80% in the North West and 87% in the Peace. Combining is the harvest method of choice to date with 75% of cereals and 95% of canola removed by combining. The quality of the production is quite variable.

Surface soil moisture ratings saw excessive moisture ratings decline by 4.5 percentage points to 18% of the province. See Table #2. This improvement has been offset by an increase in the Poor and Fair ratings in the South and Peace regions. An expanding area of dryness has developed in the central portion of the South region. See Map.

The weather forecast for the upcoming reporting period is not promising. Above average temperatures early in the period will decline to below average starting Saturday and continue into mid next week. There is a high probability of showers in the South and Central regions starting Friday and continuing into early next week. For the area of Edmonton and north, showers and rain is forecast for the week end.

REGIONAL ASSESSMENTS:
The 2017 Alberta Crop Report Series continues to provide summaries for the following five regions:

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

• Warm temperatures with some intermittent showers.
• 40% of seeding completed compared to 5 year average (2012 – 2016) of 58%. 6% of crops have emerged.
• Significant decline in surface soil moisture ratings to 69% rated good/excellent from 82% last week. Amount of region rated fair rose by same 13 percentage points to 27%.

• Warm temperatures helped in warming soils and improving harvest opportunities of overwintered crops.
• 10% of the region has been seeded compared to the 5 year average of 33%. No emergence to date.
• Surface soil moisture ratings declined to 84% rated good/excellent from 87% last week. Excessive moisture rating declined to 6%. Excessive moisture found principally in the NW corner of the region.
• 70% of unharvested acres have been taken off (~97,000 acres). 41,000 acres remain to be harvested.
• 75% of cereals harvested; 65% of canola harvested.

• Warm, dry weather helped to dry soils throughout much of the region.
• 2% of region seeded versus 5 year average of 18%. No emergence reported.
• Surface soil moisture ratings improved to 62% rated good or excellent as the area rated as excessive for moisture declined to 38% from 49% last week.
• Harvest completed on 35% of the overwintered crops (~183,000 acres). Estimate 339,000 acres remain to be completed.

• Fields remain too wet to get much seeding or harvesting underway.
• Less than 1% of region has been seeded compared to 5 year average of 19%.
• Excessive surface soil moisture ratings declined to 38% from 43% last week. Virtually all the remainder of the region is rated excellent (57%).
• 20% of unharvested crops have been taken off (~47,000 acres). 187,000 acres remain to be harvested.

• Dry, windy weather helping to dry soils.
• Less than 1% seeded in the region compared to 5 year average of 15%.
• Excessive moisture declined from 25% in the previous week to 20% of the region.
• 13% of the overwintered crops harvested (~37,000 acres). 251,000 acres remain outstanding to harvest.