Good growing conditions, including warmer temperatures and minimal rainfall, advanced crops and allowed those affected by excessive moisture to further recover.
However, continuing wet conditions in some areas are affecting crops, hay fields and pastures.
There are reports of brown girdling root rot and blackleg lesions in canola, brown spot disease and bacterial leaf blight in soybeans and fusarium head blight in winter wheat.
Southwest
The region received minimal precipitation with some areas receiving less than five millimetres. Crop conditions continue to improve.
Read Also
Alberta Crop Report: Rains in the south, dryness in the north
Rain fell onto the southern half of Alberta last week, while hot and dry conditions persisted in the northern half, according to the province’s crop report released on July 18.
Canola fields that struggled with excess moisture could use precipitation to help soften compacted soil. Some fields are also suffering from brown girdling root rot and are pinching off at the soil level.
The earliest soybean fields are flowering. Soybeans are showing good recovery from the iron chlorosis deficiency symptoms seen earlier in the season.
Wheat fields are being monitored for wheat midge. Bertha armyworm numbers are low in the region. Fungicide applications have wrapped up in many early seeded cereal fields.
Northwest
Warm temperatures helped improve crop conditions, but crops are rated from very poor to excellent depending on location.
Rainfall amounts last week were negligible.
Excessive moisture conditions earlier in the season resulted in loss of crop in low spots, significant crop yellowing and crop stunting. Fields that were too wet to seed in the spring are more visible as summerfallow and chemfallow acres.
Approximately 65 percent of the cereal crop is at the heading and flowering stage, 70 percent of the canola crop is flowering with the remainder in the rosette stage.
Fifty percent of the soybeans are in the vegetative stage of growth and the remaining 50 percent are flowering.
Most field peas are blooming with some pod development beginning.
There are reports of cabbage maggot activity in canola fields in the Swan Valley.
Bertha armyworm monitoring traps continue to show low moth numbers throughout the region.
Haying conditions improved significantly. Dugouts are full.
Central
The week began with cooler temperatures but switched quickly to hot and humid conditions. The hot weather allowed for rapid advancement in many crops. There was little to no rainfall accumulation for the week; only scattered showers and heavy dews.
Crops in general benefited from a break in the rain, although conditions vary. Crops look excellent in areas that haven’t received as much rain and have been able to handle the water. A few areas with lighter soil would benefit from some precipitation, and irrigation is being applied to potatoes on light textured soils.
Broadleaf crops are showing symptoms of excess moisture stress, although cereal crops are also affected.
In general, early seeded crops of all types are faring better than late seeded crops.
Eastern
Rainfall was two to 13 mm. Crop growth responded favourably to the warmer temperatures, combined with minimal rainfall. Fields that had waterlogged spots are starting to dry up.
Expectations for spring cereal and canola crops have not significantly improved. However, earlier seeded crops appear to be doing better than the later seeded crops.
Soybeans finally started to improve because of warmer temperatures.
Corn and sunflower crops are showing rapid growth as temperatures increased.
Winter wheat continues to deteriorate as dead areas in fields become apparent. As well, some fields have higher levels of fusarium head blight infection as symptoms become more evident.
There are reports of spraying for diamondback moth larvae in canola.
However, the overall levels of insect pests are lower than expected in the northern part of the region.
Interlake
Trace amounts of precipitation fell throughout parts of the region. A thunderstorm with high winds and hail resulted in some crop damage in the southern Interlake area. Warm temperatures sped up plant development in field crops as well as hay and pastures.
Most spring cereal crops have headed, while canola has flowered and podding is occurring. Flax and soybeans are flowering. Corn keeps growing and improving with the hotter temperatures. Winter wheat fields are starting to mature with many crops starting to turn colour.
Insect pressure has fallen significantly.
Leafcutter bees are pollinating alfalfa seed fields with the warm temperatures.1
