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Crop Conditions as of November 8, 2016 (Abbreviated Report)
To offer some perspective, accumulations of moisture began with the arrival of a large storm system on or about August 20 which brought well over 100 mm of rain to western areas of the province. The wet weather continued to persist until early September. Following this, October was unusually cool and wet across many areas, bringing the total rainfall accumulations since mid-August to well over 150 mm to 200 mm in some areas. These poor conditions have led to excessive soil moisture conditions, and consequently caused harvest difficulties for most crops in Alberta, especially in the Peace, the North West, large areas of the North East and some areas of the Central Regions (see map below for soil moisture to a depth of 120 cm under spring wheat).
Warmer and windy days over the past week have led to some marginal harvest progress. Provincially, about 81 per cent of crops have been harvested (up five per cent from last week), 11 per cent are in the swath and eight per cent remain standing (see Table 1). About 21 per cent of canola, 16 per cent of oats, 10 per cent of barley and five per cent of spring wheat have been left in swath, while 21 per cent of oats, 12 per cent of spring wheat, eight per cent of barley, four per cent of canola and almost one per cent of dry peas are still standing.
Fall seeded crops condition is reported at 10 per cent fair and 71 per cent good and 19 per cent excellent. Sub-surface soil moisture conditions across the province are rated as two per cent poor, 11 per cent fair, 50 per cent good, 34 per cent excellent and three per cent excessive. Excessive soil moisture have also impacted in pasture conditions, especially in the North West and North East Regions. Provincially, pasture conditions are reported as eight per cent poor, 39 per cent fair, 44 per cent good and nine per cent excellent.
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)
- Warm and windy weather conditions in the Southern Region over the past week have helped producers to practically wrap up their harvest operations. In most counties, harvest is complete and some fall work has begun. Some producers have reported grade issues in cereals as a result of Ergot and Fusarium.
- Sub-surface soil moisture is rated at 26 per cent poor to fair, 57 per cent good and 17 per cent excellent.
- Fall seeded crops are rated as two per cent poor, 12 per cent fair, 57 per cent good and 29 per cent excellent.
- Pasture conditions are reported as 10 per cent poor, 28 per cent fair, 53 per cent good and nine per cent excellent.
Region Two: Central (Rimbey, Airdrie, Coronation, Oyen)
- Harvest temporarily resumed due to a couple of warm, sunny and windy days but was then halted again by rain.
- Nearly 82 per cent of the crops are now in the bin (up 12 per cent from a week ago), 11 per cent in the swath (down six per cent from last week) and seven per cent still standing (down six per cent from a week ago).
- About 82 per cent of spring wheat and barley, 70 per cent of oats and 98 per cent of dry peas have been combined. Almost 81 per cent of canola has been harvested, with 15 per cent swathed and four per cent still standing.
- Sub-surface soil moisture is rated at 16 per cent poor to fair, 60 per cent good, 22 per cent excellent, with two cent excessive.
- Fall seeded crops are rated as 14 per cent fair, 80 per cent good and six per cent excellent.
- Pasture conditions are reported as 17 per cent poor, seven per cent fair, 67 per cent good and nine per cent excellent
Region Three: North East (Smoky Lake, Vermilion, Camrose, Provost)
- Some harvest progress, mostly on canola, was reported for the Region but was then halted by rain. In some counties, there was no harvest progress at all due to wet fields.
- About 71 per cent of crops have been harvested (up three per cent from last week), with 19 per cent in swath (down two per cent from a week ago) and 10 per cent still standing (down one per cent from last week).
- About 76 per cent of spring wheat, 69 per cent of barley, 59 per cent of oats and almost all dry peas have been combined. Almost 66 per cent of canola has been harvested, with 30 per cent swathed and four per cent still standing.
- Sub-surface soil moisture is rated at 33 per cent good and 66 per cent excellent, with one per cent excessive.
- Fall seeded crops are rated as 88 per cent good and 12 per cent excellent.
- Pasture conditions are reported as five per cent poor, 71 per cent fair, 18 per cent good and six per cent excellent
Region Four: North West (Barrhead, Edmonton, Leduc, Drayton Valley, Athabasca)
- Some harvest progress was made over one or two days last week, before it was halted by rain. Some sprouting in the swath or even in standing cereals has been reported.
- Overall, 18 per cent of crops are still standing (down three per cent from last week), 22 per cent are in swath (down two per cent from a week ago) and 60 per cent harvested (up five per cent from a week ago).
- About 66 per cent of spring wheat, 60 per cent of barley, 49 per cent of oats and 99 per cent of dry peas have been combined. Almost 55 per cent of canola has been harvested, while 38 per cent is still in swath and seven per cent standing.
- Sub-surface soil moisture is rated at 78 per cent good and 22 per cent excellent.
- Pasture conditions are reported as one per cent poor, 77 per cent fair and 22 per cent good.
Region Five: Peace River (Fairview, Falher, Grande Prairie, Valleyview)
- Warmer temperatures allowed some producers to get back into their fields to resume harvesting operations. However, for a majority of the fields it is still too wet for any harvesting to occur.
- Regionally, 80 per cent of crops have been combined (up less than one per cent from last week), 10 per cent are in swath and 10 per cent are still standing.
- Sub-surface soil moisture is rated at two per cent poor, 11 per cent fair, 33 per cent good and 37 per cent excellent with 17 per cent excessive.
- Fall seeded crops are rated as 19 per cent fair, 53 per cent good and 28 per cent excellent.
- Pasture conditions are reported as 26 per cent fair, 54 per cent good and 20 per cent excellent
Ashan Shooshtarian, Crop Statistician
Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
Economics and Competitiveness Branch
Statistics and Data Development Section
E-mail:ashan.shooshtarian@gov.ab.ca
Phone:780-422-2887
November 10, 2016
Note to Users: The contents of this document may not be used or reproduced without properly accrediting Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Economics and Competitiveness Branch, Statistics and Data Development Section
The 2016 Alberta crop reporting series is available on the Internet at: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sdd4191
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