Crop Conditions as of September 13, 2016 (Abbreviated Report)

REGIONAL ASSESSMENTS:
The 2016 Alberta Crop Report Series continues to provide summaries for the following five regions:

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

• Harvest is progressing with intermittent delays due to rain showers and heavy dew. Crop quality could be an issue due to the light frost and hail in some fields over the past week. Corn silaging has started.
• Regionally, 32 per cent of crops are still standing (down 16 per cent from last week), 20 per cent swathed (up five per cent from a week ago) and 48 per cent combined (up 11 per cent from last week). About 97 per cent of dry peas, 74 per cent of canola, 67 per cent of barley, 57 per cent of spring wheat and 48 per cent of oats are in swath or bin.
• Surface and sub-surface soil moisture conditions (5-year averages in brackets) are rated, respectively as 81 (42) and 78 (49) per cent good to excellent, with less than one (less than one) per cent excessive for both
• Pasture and tame hay growth conditions are rated as 60 (46) and 64 (44) per cent good to excellent, respectively.

• Unsettled weather during the past week slowed down harvest progress and affecting the grade of crops in some fields. However, yields are reported above normal. Producers have experienced frost last Monday and the potential frost damage is still to be determined. Also, hail was reported in some areas.
• The Central Region has 12 per cent of crops harvested (up five per cent from last week), 24 per cent in swath (up 11 per cent from a week ago) and 64 per cent still standing (down 16 per cent from last week). About 84 per cent of dry peas, 52 per cent of canola, 29 per cent of barley, 20 per cent of spring wheat and nine per cent of oats are either harvested or swathed.
• Both surface and sub-surface moisture conditions improved from last week and are rated as 82 (63) and 76 (71) per cent good to excellent, respectively, with about three (two) per cent excessive.
• Pasture and tame hay conditions are rated as 77 (62) per cent and 72 (60) per cent as good to excellent, respectively.

• Rain and cold weather hampered harvest operations this week. Some producers will straight cut their crops. Hail was reported in some fields.
• In the North East Region, 13 per cent of crops have been harvested (up 5 per cent from last week), with 37 per cent in the swath (up 11 per cent from a week ago) and 50 per cent still standing (down 16 per cent from last week). About 80 per cent of dry peas, 75 per cent of canola, 35 per cent of barley, 27 per cent of spring wheat and 26 per cent of oats are either in swath or in the bin.
• Surface and sub-surface soil moisture conditions are reported as 97 (71) and 83 (73) per cent good to excellent, respectively, with three (one) and two (less than one) per cent excessive.
• Pasture and tame hay conditions are rated as 83 (59) and 85 (52) per cent good to excellent, respectively.

• Harvest progress has not improved much since last week, due to the wet and cold weather. A frost and a light hail are reported for some counties in the Region.
• Overall, 65 per cent of crops are still standing (down 16 per cent from last week), 29 per cent in swath (up 14 per cent from a week ago) and six per cent harvested (up two per cent from a week ago). Nearly 62 per cent of canola, 55 per cent of dry peas, 13 per cent of barley, eight per cent of spring wheat and three per cent of oats have been either combined or swathed.
• Surface and sub-surface soil moisture conditions are rated as 97 (66) and 88 (57) per cent good to excellent, respectively, with three (less than one) per cent excessive surface soil moisture.
• Pasture and tame hay conditions are rated as 56 (45) per cent and 71 (39) per cent good to excellent, respectively.

• Harvest operations have been delayed by sporadic rain. Hail has been reported for some fields in the Region. There is the potential for crop quality decline due to wet weather.
• Regionally, 13 per cent of crops have been combined (up three per cent from last week), 34 per cent in swath (up four per cent from a week ago) and 53 per cent still standing (down seven per cent from last week). About 68 per cent of canola, 65 per cent of dry peas, 20 per cent of spring wheat and 14 per cent of both barley and oats have been either combined or swathed.
• Surface and sub-surface soil moisture conditions are rated as 73 (55) and 78 (63) per cent good to excellent, respectively, with nine (less than one) per cent excessive only for surface soil moisture.
• Pasture and tame hay conditions are reported at 74 (63) and 72 (59) per cent good to excellent, respectively.