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This information has been made available by Agriculture Financial Services Corporation.
The June 29, 2015 Alberta Crop Report is also available as a PDF file on the AFSC website
Alberta Crop Conditions as of June 29, 2015
The past week brought hot, humid weather across the province resulting in the continuing deterioration in both crop condition and soil moisture ratings in all regions. Crop conditions declined a further 8% to 30% of the province rated good or excellent. These ratings are the lowest experienced since 2009 by a wide margin. Spring wheat ratings declined 10% to 33% good or excellent, barley dropped 10% to 29% and canola fell to 25% rated good or excellent, down 6% from last week. With respect to crop development, spring cereals average the boot stage, winter cereals average the late pollination stage, canola averages 21% flowering and field peas at 43% flowering.
Surface soil moisture ratings declined 8% over the week to 21% of the province rated good or excellent. The percentage rated poor increased 13% to 43%. Sub soil moisture is rated 25% good or excellent with 29% rated poor. Early and deeper seeded crops may have been able to develop a more extensive root system which will enable them to better access the sub soil moisture and withstand the dry conditions better than the shallow or later seeded crops.
Hay and pasture conditions declined a further 2% this week with only 17% rated good or excellent. 1st cut haying is underway in all regions with the exception of the Peace Region. Dryland haying is 15% completed. Early yields are poor and quality is down due to high stem content. 1st cut irrigated hay is 44% complete. Yields are average, maybe slightly below, with 80% of the crop rated good or excellent for quality.
Regional Assessments:
The 2015 Alberta Crop Report Series provides summaries for the following five regions:
Region One: Southern (Strathmore, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Foremost)
- Cereals in early head emergence; winter cereals in late pollination; canola is 55% flowering; field peas are 67% flowering.
- Crop condition ratings declined 7% from 50% good or excellent last week with spring wheat down 7%; barley down 8%; and canola down 7%.
- Surface soil moisture ratings fell 7% to 24% good or excellent; percentage rated poor increased to 43%.
- Hay/pastures rated 39% poor; 32% fair; 27% good; 2% excellent (near unchanged).
- Dryland hay 49% completed with chance of a 2nd cut very low; Irrigated hay 46% completed.
Region Two: Central (Rimbey, Airdrie, Coronation, Oyen)
- Cereals are starting to head; winter cereals in mid pollination; canola is 23% flower; field peas in 34% flower.
- Crop condition ratings declined 9% overall from 29% good or excellent last week; spring wheat dropped 11%; barley dropped 12%; canola dropped 3% over the week.
- Surface soil moisture fell 13% to 14% rated good or excellent with the poor rating up 16% to 44% poor.
- Hay/pastures rated 60% poor; 29% fair; 11% good; 0% excellent (poor rating up 10% from last week).
- Dryland hay 17% completed.
Region Three: North East (Smoky Lake, Vermilion, Camrose, Provost)
- Cereals approaching flag leaf stage; canola 6% flowering; field peas 10% flowering.
- Regional crop condition ratings declined 14% over the week from 44% rated good or excellent last week; spring wheat down 15%; barley down 16%; canola declined 12%.
- Surface soil moisture ratings dropped 7% to 15% good or excellent with the poor rating rising to 43% poor.
- Hay/pastures rated 69% poor; 27% fair; 4% good; 0% excellent (poor rating increased 11% on the week).
- Dryland haying getting underway with 2% completed.
Region Four: North West (Barrhead, Edmonton, Leduc, Drayton Valley, Athabasca)
- Cereals in early flag leaf stage; canola 7% flowering; field peas 57% flowering.
- Crop condition ratings dropped 1% overall for the region to 12% rated good or excellent. Spring wheat and barley ratings were unchanged from last week with canola down 3%.
- Driest region in the province. Surface moisture ratings were unchanged for the week at 4% good or excellent while the area rated poor increased slightly to 68% poor.
- Hay/pastures rated 82% poor; 16% fair; 2% good; 0% excellent (poor rating increased 4% on the week).
- Dryland haying is 7% completed.
Region Five: Peace River (Fairview, Falher, Grande Prairie, Valleyview)
- Cereals in boot stage; canola is 15% flowering; field peas are 47% flowering.
- Regional crop condition ratings declined 4% to 35% good or excellent; spring wheat down 5%; barley down 6%; and canola down 4% from last week.
- Surface soil moisture ratings fell 10% on the week to 52% rated good or excellent with area rated poor increasing to 14%.
- Hay/pastures rated 20% poor; 42% fair; 35% good; 3% excellent (poor rating up 6% on the week).
James Wright, Risk Analyst
Agriculture Financial Services Corporation
Actuarial, Analytics & Forecasting Unit
Lacombe, Alberta
Email: james.wright@afsc.ca
Telephone: (403)782-8336
July 3, 2015
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