| | This information has been made available by Agriculture Financial Services Corporation.
The May 31, 2012 Crop Report is also available as a PDF file on the AFSC website.
Provincial
Seeding is quickly winding down with 94% completed. Emergence is uniform and estimated at 55%. Precipitation was reported in all areas. Slightly cooler than normal temperatures has predominated this spring with cool nights including frost. Frost damage has been minimal due to the slow rate of emergence.
Table #1: Regional Seeding Progress & Emergence by Crop (May 31/12)
Soil moisture ratings remain high, benefiting from the recent precipitation. Surface soil moisture is rated 74% good/excellent, up from 63% on May 17. Sub soil moisture is rated 75% good/excellent, improving from 70% on the last report.
Table #2: Regional Soil Moisture Ratings (May 31/12)
Hay and pasture crop ratings are unchanged at 82% good/excellent. Provincially, they are rated 2% poor; 16% fair; 61% good; 21% excellent.
Region One: South (Strathmore, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Foremost)
Seeding is virtually completed with 73% of the crops emerged. Most areas in the region received 15 – 50 mm of precipitation. Spring cereals are currently entering the tillering stage, with canola and peas in the cotyledon to 3 leaf stage. Winter cereals are performing very well and are in mid stem elongation. 27 % of the region has been sprayed. Flea beetles on canola have not been a significant factor to date with 4% of the region rating infestations as moderate and only 1% at over economic threshold.
Soil moisture conditions are good with surface moisture rated 75% good/excellent (up from 70%) and sub soil moisture at 75% (down from 79%). Hay/pasture ratings declined slightly to 86% good/excellent from 89%.
Region Two: Central (Rimbey, Airdrie, Coronation, Oyen)
Seeding is nearing completion at 95% done and 61% emerged. The region experienced light showers and cool temperatures. Spring cereals are in the 2 – 3 leaf stage with canola and field peas in the cotyledon to 3 leaf. Winter cereals are entering the stem elongation stage. Spraying is getting underway with 3% completed. Flea beetles have not been an issue thus far with only 2% of the region rating infestations as moderate.
Soil moisture ratings have declined slightly but remain very good with surface moisture at 81% good/excellent (down from 87%) and sub soil moisture at 80% good/excellent (down from 90%). Hay/pasture ratings have declined slightly to 87% good/excellent from 90%.
Region Three: North East (Smoky Lake, Vermilion, Camrose, Provost)
Seeding progress is lagging at 87% complete as the result of a general rain of 50 – 75 mm on May 22-23. Approximately 24% of crops have emerged and the slightly below normal temperatures is affecting growth with spring cereals in the 1 – 2 leaf stage and canola and peas in the cotyledon stage. Spraying is 5% completed. Flea beetle populations are lower than anticipated with less than 1% of the region rating the infestation as moderate.
Soil moisture ratings have improved significantly from last report. Surface moisture is rated 68% good/excellent, up from 40%, while sub soil moisture is rated 62% good/excellent, up from 48%. Hay/pasture ratings have improved marginally to 72% good/excellent from 67%.
Region Four: North West (Barrhead, Edmonton, Leduc, Drayton Valley, Athabasca)
Seeding is nearing completion with 92% done. Emergence is estimated at 64% with spring cereals in the emerging to 2 leaf stage and canola and peas in the cotyledon to 2 leaf stage. The region received a general rain of up to 50 mm on May 22-23 which has improved conditions significantly. Spraying is 5% completed. Flea beetle populations are higher in this region with 49% of the region rating the infestation as moderate though none rated the situation as over threshold.
Soil moisture ratings are up significantly with surface moisture at 52% good/excellent (up from 23%) and sub soil moisture rated at 85% good/excellent (up from 50%). Hay/pasture ratings have shown good improvement to 66% good/excellent from 55% in the last report.
Region Five: Peace River (Fairview, Falher, Grande Prairie, Valleyview)
Seeding is nearing completion with 91% done and 58% emerged. The central portion of the region received 50 – 75 mm of rain which has caused some excessive moisture situations. The southern portion of the region received showers while the north portion is extremely dry for the second year in a row. Spring cereals are principally emerging while canola and peas are in the cotyledon stage. Spraying is 6% completed. There are no insect issues reported at this time.
Surface moisture is rated 84% good/excellent (up from 82%) but 7% of the region is being rated as excessive. Sub soil moisture is down marginally to 86% good/excellent from 88%. Hay/pastures are rated 96% good/excellent, down from 100% in the last report.
Prepared by:
James Wright
Business Risk Management Division
Actuarial & Program Readiness
AFSC, Lacombe
Telephone: (403)782-8336
Prepared by Agriculture Financial Services Corporation, in cooperation with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. For more information, please contact the writer, James Wright. |
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