Summary of crop conditions, week of July 24 – July 31.
Alberta
Peace
Warm dry weather is badly needed to get the crops to harvest. Early seeded crops look good, but late seeded crops are late and looking poor. Heavy wetness prevented early seeding in many areas and led to very slow development. Forage seed harvesting has started with fescue. Most canola is coming to the end of the flowering stage. Cereals are mostly heading. Few bug problems.
North/Central
With the exception of northwest and northeast portions of the central region, drought conditions prevail. Moisture is badly needed. Flower blast seen in canola and pea crops. Leaves are curling in many cereal crops. There has been little rain, and some crops have been hit by hail. Dry conditions have hurt bertha army worm numbers, which is a relief to canola growers, but diamondback moth numbers are up throughout eastern canola growing areas. Drought stress is particularly bad because the wet spring caused most plants to develop only a shallow root system. If there is no rain soon, there will be substantial yield losses.
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South
Drought conditions prevail. Some producers are cutting poor crops for greenfeed. Irrigation work is wrapping up. Some lentils are being desiccated. Most fall rye is done now. Diamondback moths are evident. Lygus bugs are a serious problem around Vulcan. There is considerable spraying of the bugs’ second generation. The first hay cut had excellent yield and quality, but the drought will probably make the second cut poor.
Saskatchewan
North
There are good to excellent crop conditions across the north, except for some areas in the northwest. Crops are average to above average due to excellent moisture conditions and good growing weather. Midge spraying is complete and producers are now scouting their canola fields for bertha army worm and diamondback moths. Some fungicide has been sprayed. Most cereals are in late heading stage, with about a third in early dough stage. Canola is 58 percent podding, with the rest in late flower. Hay yields in the north are about 11Ú2 tonnes per acre, well above the rest of the province.
Central
Hot and dry weather has been stressing crops, but pushing maturity. Crops will mature early, allowing early harvesting, but the yields will be reduced because of heat stress. Midge spraying is complete. Monitoring for bertha army worms and diamondback moths is under way. Haying is complete in west-central areas, but not in the east, where showers have slowed progress. Canola is mostly podding with only one-third left flowering.
South
Hot and dry conditions are damaging crops, especially in the southeast. Some rain fell in the east. Crops are advancing quickly because of the heat, but yields are dropping. Wheat midge spraying is done, but producers are now watching for bertha army worm and diamondback moths. The first cut of hay is done, but producers report poor yields and livestock producers report hay shortages. Yield potentials are now set, so rain will only get crops to a reduced total. Half of cereals have moved into the dough stage.
Manitoba
Northwest/Interlake
Hot and humid conditions dominate. Some heavy thunderstorm and hail damage in northwest areas, although some northwest crops have moisture problems. Interlake moisture conditions are good. Cereals and oilseeds are well developed in both areas, with much wheat entering the dough stage and half the canola podded. Crop projections show an average crop across the region. First cut haying is almost complete. Hay yields in the northwest are only 50 to 75 percent of average. Grasshoppers are a problem in some parts of the Interlake.
West
Hot weather is damaging many crops as soils have dried out, although they have advanced quickly because of the heat. Premature ripening is evident in some fields. Many cereals are moving into the dough stage. Canola is moving well into the podding stage. Field peas are podded with early fields ripening. Fall rye is being swathed. Aphids are appearing in pea fields. Grasshoppers have appeared west of Hartney. Some hail damage in the southwest corner.
Red River Valley
Very hot and humid conditions have stressed crops in most areas. Heavy thunderstorms caused localized flooding and lodging damage, but most areas are still too dry. Cereal crops are heading. Most canola is podding, with some late flowering. Flax is flowering. Humid canola fields are being sprayed for sclerotinia. Early seeded cereals are being victimized by fusarium. Grasshoppers are a problem near Portage, Gladstone and Starbuck. Hay is under the second cut for dairy farmers in the Somerset district.
Source: Provincial agriculture departments, Alberta Wheat Pool, Saskatchewan Wheat
