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By RD News Red Deer

Heat wave taking a toll on Alberta crops

Jul 5, 2021 | 12:44 PM

RED DEER, AB. — Crop conditions in Alberta’s Central region are being estimated at 77 per cent good or excellent, and on par with both the five-year and 10-year average.

However, according to officials with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry and Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), the extremely warm temperatures and lack of moisture are taking a toll on all dryland crops.

Spring-seeded cereals are in the early stem elongation stage, with winter cereals now nicely into flowering. Oilseed and pulse crop development is variable, with the majority of acres in the rosette stages, rapidly moving into flowering.

Surface soil moisture ratings decreased by 18 points over the last week to 58 per cent rated good or excellent. Sub-surface soil moisture decreased by 14 points over last week to 60 per cent rating good or excellent.

First-cut haying is underway with over one third of dryland acres and over five per cent of irrigated acres now completed. Dryland yields (irrigated in parenthesis) are estimated at 1.6 (1.9) tons per acre and 89 (100) per cent rated good or excellent quality. Pasture growth (tame hay shown in parenthesis) is rated as 11 (11) per cent poor, 26 (27) per cent fair, 59 (54) good, and 4 (8) per cent excellent.

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Across the province, the effects of favourable spring seeding conditions are now evident in the current crop staging. Cereal crop development is averaging early flag leaf stage and very much in line with long-term averages for Alberta.

Oilseed and pulse crops are ahead of the norm with 66 per cent in rosette, or seven to 12 node stage, compared to the five- and 10-year averages of 57 and 59 per cent respectively. Oilseed and pulse crops now flowering average 22 per cent compared to the five- and 10-year averages of 11 and 12 per cent.

Prolonged periods of heat with little moisture are taking a toll on crop conditions. The provincial crop condition rating declined 13 percentage points from the last full report on June 15 to 68 per cent rated as good to excellent, compared to the five-year average of 76 per cent, and the 10-year average of 74 per cent.

South and North West have seen more significant changes, at over 20-point declines, while Central, North East and Peace regions fell to a lesser degree compared to two weeks ago. Officials say this week’s province-wide heat wave is expected to impact these ratings further.

Hay harvest has begun with 28 per cent of dryland acres, and 46 per cent of irrigated hay now baled in Alberta. Dryland condition is rated 53 per cent good and 16 per cent excellent, with irrigated hay in better shape at 61 per cent good, with 8 per cent excellent.

Yields are averaging 1.2 tons per acre on dryland, slightly behind the five-year average of 1.3 tons per acre. Irrigated yields are estimated at 2.1 tons per acre while the five-year average is 2.4. Both yields and conditions are lower in both South and Peace regions resulting from limited precipitation.

Officials further note that soil moisture conditions have dropped from last week as a result of the extended period of hot, dry conditions around the province. Surface soil moisture (last week in brackets) is 23 (12) per cent rated as poor, 39 (28) per cent fair, 36 (47) per cent good, 2 (12) per cent excellent with 0 (1) per cent rated as excessive.

Sub-surface soil moisture (last week in brackets) is currently estimated at 16 (10) per cent poor, 35 (27) per cent fair, 41 (47) per cent good, and 8 (16) per cent excellent.

The average daily mean temperatures for the week ending June 28 have been a once-in-50-year event for most of the province.

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