Light, sporadic showers across Alberta are failing to be enough to boost crop condition ratings and soil moisture reserves, the June 13 provincial crop report said. Many regions are reporting hot and dry temperatures that have further depleted soil moisture conditions continuously.
The report noted the Peace region received the most moisture over the past week with up to 60 mm, along with select south west parts of the south region. The majority of the central, north east and south regions received only zero to five millimetres of rain.
“This has caused crops across the province to show signs of stress and mature quicker than normal,” the report said.
Growing conditions are rated as 43 per cent good to excellent conditions, 32 per cent below the five-year average and 31 per cent below the 10-year average, the report noted. Potatoes, lentils, chickpeas, and durum are rated in the best condition provincially, whereas canola and barley are rated the lowest.
As of last week, 93 per cent of crops had emerged. Currently, 55 per cent of broad leaf crops are in the four to six leaf/node stage which is moderately ahead of the five-year average of 45 per cent and spring cereals are just entering stem elongation.
“While some fields are so dry that there are dormant seedlings struggling to get going, other cereals have already produced a flag leaf as they rush into heading,” the report said.
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