Prolonged heat and dryness wreaked havoc with crops in Alberta, resulting in a sharp decline in conditions during the week ended July 23, according to the province’s weekly crop report.

Major crops were rated at 55.3 per cent good to excellent, down from 72.9 per cent the previous week. The south region’s crops were rated 77.2 per cent good to excellent, while the northeast region was at 62.5 per cent and the Peace region was at 57.3 per cent. Conditions in the northwest region fell to 37.7 per cent and the central region dropped to 32.4 per cent, for declines of 40.1 and 29.8 points, respectively.

Dry peas were rated at 64.7 per cent good to excellent, followed by spring wheat at 60.1 per cent. Barley was rated at 55.5 per cent while oats were at 52.7 per cent and canola was at 48.6 per cent.

Major crops across Alberta were nearing the end of flowering. Some spring wheat was in the milk stage, while oats were halfway through flowering. Pasture weed growth was rated moderate at 19 per cent of the province and heavy in three per cent, while grasshoppers, gophers, aphids and diamondback moths were detected in fields.

While the western Peace region received between 15 to 80 millimetres of rain during the week, the rest of the province was left dry for the most part. Overall, surface soil moisture across the province was rated at 35.3 per cent good to excellent compared to 61 per cent the week before. The five-year average was 56.3 per cent while the 10-year average was 58.1 per cent.

In the Peace region, 47 per cent of surface soil moisture was rated good to excellent, down from 73 per cent the previous week, while 40 per cent was rated good to excellent in the south region, down nine points from last week. The northeast region dropped 41 points at 38 per cent, the central region fell 31 points at 29 per cent, and the northwest gave up 37 points at 22 per cent.

Sub-surface soil moisture was also depleted with the province at 30 per cent good to excellent, down 17 points from the previous week. The Peace region had the highest rating at 53 per cent (down 32 points), while the northeast region was down 22 points at 41 per cent. The south region was rated at 31 per cent (down 14 points), the northwest was rated at 26 per cent (down 31 points) and the central region was at 16 per cent (down four points).

Tame hay conditions were considered to be 43.3 per cent good to excellent across Alberta, down from 62 per cent last week, the 54.6 per cent five-year average and the 54.9 per cent 10-year average.

The province’s overall pasture rating went down 14 points from the week before at 49 per cent good to excellent.

Source - https://farmtario.com