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Crop Conditions as of June 27, 2017
Over the past 7 days, most of the Peace Region and much of the North East and North West Regions received 10 - 20 mm of precipitation to as much as 30 mm. In the Central and South Regions, the west portions received no more than 5 mm while the east portions received 5 – 10 mm. The provincial crop condition rating declined 4 percentage points from last week to 78% rated good or excellent compared to the 5 year average of 73% and the long term average of 71% (Table 1). All regions with the exception of the Peace Region reported ratings declines from the previous week. Despite a difficult spring for a good part of the province, all crops are provincially rated higher than their 5 year and long term averages.
Crop development is very much in line with long term averages in the South and Central Regions and only marginally delayed in the North East. The effect of seeding delays is most evident in the North West and Peace Regions. In the North West, only 18% of canola is in the rosette stage with 1% flowering. The long term average is 55% with 9% flowering. Field peas are 38% in pre flowering stage and 1% flowering versus the long term average of 63% with 8% flowering. In the Peace, canola is 29% in the rosette stage and 5% flowering versus 72% and 21% longer term. Field peas in the Peace are only 30% in pre flowering stage and 5% flowering compared to longer term values of 90% with 7% flowering.
Dryland and irrigated 1st cut haying getting underway. Yields are very promising after several poor production years.
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, dry, windy weather is placing crops under stress.
- Crop Condition ratings declined 5 percentage points to 83% rated good or excellent. 5 year average is 76% g/e.
- Crop development of spring cereals range from early boot to mid heading, averaging flag leaf. Winter cereals range from early pollination to pollination completed, averaging late pollination.
- Canola averages 67% in rosette stage & 25% flowering. Field peas are 65% in 7-12 nodes & <1% flowering.
- Surface soil moisture ratings dropped to 66% good/excellent with all the change (-19%) moving to the fair category.
- 1st cut dryland haying 39% complete; 1st cut irrigated haying 57% complete.
Region Two: Central (Rimbey, Airdrie, Coronation, Oyen)
- Warm, dry, windy weather with spotty light showers. Crops handling drier conditions well at this time. Will need precipitation soon to maintain potential.
- Crop Condition ratings declined 8 percentage points to 81% rated good or excellent. 5 year average rating is 69% g/e.
- Crop development of spring cereals range from early stem elongation to early boot stage, averaging late stem elongation. Winter cereal development from mid heading to mid pollination, averaging entering pollination.
- Canola averaging 67% in rosette stage & 12% flowering. Field peas are 81% in 7-12 nodes & 5% flowering.
- Surface soil moisture ratings fell 21 points to 70% rated good or excellent. Excessive moisture rating was unchanged.
- 1st cut dryland haying is 8% completed.
Region Three: North East (Smoky Lake, Vermilion, Camrose, Provost)
- More precipitation fell throughout much of the region.
- Crops are being affected by excessive moisture with water laying in fields and yellowing becoming prominent.
- Crop Condition ratings declined 3 points on the week to 83% rated good or excellent. 5 year average rating is75% g/e.
- Crop development of spring cereals showing effects of seeding delays. Vary from 5 leaf stage to early stem elongation, averaging late tillering. Winter cereals range from early to late pollination.
- Canola at only 42% in the rosette stage, 3% flowering. Field peas at 72% in 7-12 node stages & 1% flowering.
- Surface soil moisture ratings dropped to 64% rated good or excellent from 67% last week. Excessive moisture rose 1 point to 34% of the region
- 1st cut dryland haying starting with <1% completed.
Region Four: North West (Barrhead, Edmonton, Leduc, Drayton Valley, Athabasca)
- Wet conditions prevail and worsened by more heavy precipitation this week. Yellowing of crops appearing.
- Crop Condition ratings declined to 60% rated good or excellent from 64%. 5 year average is 75% g/e.
- Crop development of spring cereals at 6 leaf stage to late tillering, averaging early tillering.
- Canola at only 18% in rosette stage, <1% flowering. Field peas with only 38% in 7-12 nodes, <1% flowering.
- Surface soil moisture ratings dropped 1 point to 62% rated good or excellent. Excessive moisture rose 1 point to 38%.
- 1st cut dryland haying underway with <1% completed.
Region Five: Peace River (Fairview, Falher, Grande Prairie, Valleyview)
- More precipitation this week though overall not excessive.
- Only region to report an improvement to the Crop Condition rating. Rating rose 1 point to 65% rated good/excellent.
- Crop development of spring cereals ranges from early tillering to early stem elongation, averaging late tillering.
- Canola showing only 29% in rosette stage & 5% flowering. Field peas average 30% in 7-12 nodes & 5% flowering.
- Surface soil moisture ratings dropped 3 points to 75% rated good or excellent. Excessive moisture declined 2 percentage points to 6% of the region.
- The harvest of 1st cut dryland hay is yet to begin.
Agriculture Financial Services Corporation
James Wright, Risk Analyst
Actuarial, Analytics & Forecasting Unit
E-mail: james.wright@afsc.ca
Phone: 403-782-8336
Lacombe, Alberta
June 30, 2017
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 2017 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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