Hot weather and little rain may have grain experts moaning about crops in Alberta, but the acid test will be the number of new combines and pickups sold this fall, said an Alberta Agriculture crop specialist.
“That’s how you can tell how things are going,” said Blair Shaw, of Taber, Alta. “There will be individuals out there who’ve had a total disaster, but there will still be a few new combines and pickups sold this fall.”
Most of the crops in his area will end up being average, said Shaw.
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Alberta Wheat Pool has a similar story. Each week it produces a crop condition index. One hundred is an optimal crop and 50 is average. This week it has rated crops in Alberta as 55, down from 79 in June.
Crops around Camrose that appeared to have bumper potential in spring will be lucky to rate average, said crop specialist Trevor Schoff.
It wasn’t disease or pests that lowered yield, but a lack of rain.
No energy for seed
The problem was compounded by excess moisture in spring, creating big healthy plants. As drought conditions increased there wasn’t enough moisture to sustain big plants, let alone put energy into producing seed.
Dry weather forced crops to mature early, lowering yield. In cereals, kernels are small, light and discolored. In canola, seeds are small so it is difficult to keep them from being blown through the combine.
On the east side of the province dry weather has also taken its toll. Some farmers are beginning to swath and bale their light crops, said Doris Peters, insurance administrator for Alberta crop insurance.
“It’s very dry and crop are burning badly.”
Peters estimates yields will be below average with pale, white, shrunken kernels of grain.
“It looked really promising until the first of July and then it’s gone downhill steadily,” she said.
But the news isn’t all bad, said Alberta Wheat Pool’s Ray Kettenbach. Crops around Edmonton still look good and crops in the south Peace aren’t suffering from heat or excess moisture.
He estimates yields across the province will be about average.
