MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY – As of earlier this week, crop seeding across the province had progressed to 58 per cent complete with some areas reporting delays because of moisture.
“Another week of widespread rains brought needed relief to dry areas,” Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation’s most recent Alberta Crop Report released Friday, May 24 stated. “While many farmers welcomed the rain, some areas reported light snow, hail or near freezing temperatures. Sun and warm weather are needed across the province for the crops to reap the benefit of the recent moisture.”
Regionally, the report notes the most seeding progress is in the Peace Region (Fairview, Falher, Grande Prairie, Valleyview) with 71 per cent complete followed by the South Region (Strathmore, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Foremost) with 71 per cent complete.
Seeding of major crops in the Central Region (Rimbey, Airdrie, Coronation, Oyen), which includes Red Deer, Mountain View and Rocky View counties, is 57 per cent complete.
The region with the most left to seed remains the North East Region (Smoky Lake, Vermilion, Camrose, Provost) with only 42 per cent complete.
Seeding in the North West (Barrhead, Edmonton, Leduc, Drayton Valley, Athabasca) is 49 per cent complete.
Data for the report is collected by Alberta Agricultural fieldmen and AFSC staff through regular surveys on moisture and crop conditions, progress of seeding and harvesting, insect and disease situation, yield potential and crop quality.
The Friday report captured conditions as of Monday, May 21.
Precipitation continued to improve soil moisture conditions as areas around the province received numerous showers.
“Some areas received up to two inches in the Peace Region, over an inch in many areas of the North East, North West, and South Region, and around half an inch in the Central Region within the last week. Some areas received enough rain to have excess surface soil moisture with reports of standing water with excessively wet areas causing implements to get stuck,” the report noted.
Provincially, the report says surface soil moisture is rated as one per cent poor, 16 per cent fair, 59 per cent good, 22 per cent excellent and two per cent excessive.
For all crops, 21 per cent have emerged – six per cent ahead of the five-year average -- as growth conditions have been moist and favourable for emergence, the report notes.
“However, continuously wet soil and cool ground temperatures could hurt plant development.”
Following the trends of seeding progress, the report notes emergence is furthest ahead in the South Region at 35 per cent emerged followed by the Central Region with 23 per cent emerged.
All other regions are below 15 per cent emergence.
The majority of fall seeded crops in the province are rated in good to excellent conditions except in the Peace Region where it has been reported that some fall seeded crops were tilled up due to poor plant counts, and re-seeded.
