(farmnewsNOW file photo)

By Troy Gillard

soggy

Rain continues to dampen Alberta crop conditions

Jul 19, 2020 | 11:10 AM

RED DEER, ALTA. – The latest crop conditions update from Alberta Agriculture backs up what we pretty much already knew – rain is having an impact right across the province.

“Precipitation over the past two weeks continued across the province, resulting in large areas with excess moisture,” reads Friday’s update.

Areas in the North West and Peace Regions and the western parts of the North East Region, experienced a couple of major weather events. Local thunderstorm activities have brought rains across the province, while hail hit some fields in the Southern, Central and North West regions.

“Crop conditions are deteriorating with barley, canola and dry peas in the wet areas showing significant yellowing from excess moisture,” the report says. “Compared to the previous report, crop condition ratings are down for the North East, North West and Peace Regions, while they are improved in the Southern and Central Regions.”

Alberta Agriculture says crop condition ratings are still higher than the five-year average (2015-2019) in all regions, except for the North West, which is 31 per cent below.

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Provincially, crop growing conditions are listed at “78 per cent good to excellent,” compared to the five-year average of 64 per cent.

Nearly the entire Central region received at least 80 mm of rain over the past two weeks, with the northern parts receiving 100-125 mm of precipitation and an area in the south east receiving 20-40 mm.

Some crops are yellowing and spraying has been challenging, due to excess moisture, Friday’s report says.

Regional crop development is almost on par with the five-year average, but in some areas it is slightly behind. Spring cereals are in the head emergence stage of development, while fall seeded crops are in the milk development stage.

Haying is in full swing, but has been delayed by wet conditions with about 20 per cent of dryland and five per cent of irrigated haying complete (compared to the respective five-year averages of 45 and 42 per cent).

For both dryland and irrigated, hay quality is below the five-year averages.

Pasture conditions in the Central region are rated as nine per cent fair, 75 per cent good and 16 per cent excellent.

The full report for Alberta crop conditions as of July 14 can be read here.