Glacier FarmMedia — The harvesting of all crops in Alberta reached 42 per cent complete as of Sept. 9, compared to the five-year average of 40 per cent. The provincial agriculture department noted combing was highlighted by little or no rain.
Southern Alberta led the regions with 52 per cent of its crops in the bin, followed by the northeast and northwest at 41 per cent complete apiece. The Peace was next at 38 per cent combined and the central clocked in at 31 per cent.
Cereals, pulses, oilseeds
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Among the cereals provincially, the fall rye and winter wheat were close to being finished at 99 and 96 per cent done, respectively. Durum was next at 57 per cent, barley at 53 per cent, spring wheat at 49 per cent and oats at 39 per cent.
The combining of Alberta’s pulses were led by lentils and dry peas at 91 per cent each, with chickpeas further back at 36 per cent.
For the oilseeds, mustard was 54 per cent harvested and canola at 13 per cent.
Soil conditions
That lack of rain led to more declines in soil moisture levels, with the province’s surface soil 41 per cent good to excellent which is close to the five-year average. The central region fared the best at 63 per cent good to excellent, with the Peace further back at 38 per cent, the northwest 35 per cent, the south 34 per cent and the northeast 26 per cent.
With that, the second cut of dryland hay was rated at 64 per cent finished, while irrigated hay was 94 per cent. However, the quality placed the non-irrigated at 74 per cent good to excellent versus 71 per cent for irrigated. Yet, dryland yielded 1.1 tons per acre with irrigated 2.3.
Pastures rated 41 per cent good to excellent provincewide, six up on the five-year average. Tame hay areas were at 36 per cent good to excellent, two points below its average.
