Heat waves and dry weather added to the headaches faced by canola producers during spraying season. “The main concern with the heat is just the evaporation of water from the droplets, and that causes two main problems,” said Tom Wolf, owner of Agrimetrics Research and Training based in Saskatoon. Other stories in the 2023 Canola […] Read more
Tag Archives Dry Times
Irrigators plan for a dry year if conditions hold
Crop types that require less water can reduce growers’ exposure to below normal precipitation and runoff
Soil moisture and precipitation in Alberta are far from ideal for field crops and even irrigated land had challenges in the last growing season — a situation that had many producers talking options during the Ag Connections conference in Medicine Hat in November. “This is the first year that we’ve ever talked about water shutoffs […] Read more
Alberta, Sask. regions prepare for continued drought
The smaller St. Mary Reservoir has seen its levels rise to four percent of capacity from a low of two percent
The continuing drought across Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan are prompting warnings from the two provincial governments as precipitation remains elusive and moisture deficits extend into winter. “We need to make sure we have a plan in place to address these water shortages,” said Alberta’s Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz, warning of El Nino, which weather […] Read more
Below-average precipitation forecast
November brought little relief for producers living through dry conditions across Alberta. Precipitation remains rare and many mountain snowpack stations are reporting below average levels, as 51 water shortage advisories stretch across the province, north to south. Seasonal forecasts predict little reprieve in the next three months as an El Nino weather system moves in. […] Read more
Parts of cattle country in ‘emergency situation’ for moisture
Federal and provincial governments are trying to reduce sell-offs of cattle breeding stock due to widespread drought
Cattle producers are adapting to dry conditions persisting across the Prairies but the drought is pushing their ingenuity to the limit. “We haven’t grown any grass — virtually zero native pasture grew in 2023,” said Brad Osadczuk of Jenner, Alta. “We are pretty good at carrying over from the previous year but we’re down to […] Read more
Vitamin A deficiency associated with drought conditions
I recently took part in a regular webinar series produced by the Beef Cattle Research Council. I try to listen to these webinars regularly because they provide a great learning resource and I encourage producers and veterinarians to sign up for the series. In this webinar, we discussed the long-term implications of drought, which was […] Read more
Drought management continues in cold months
Herd culling and feeding strategies will be top of mind for cattle producers as drought aftermath drags into winter
With much of Canada’s cattle country in the throes of a generational drought, there are risks to livestock to keep in mind as producers struggle to feed and water animals through winter, according to a recent Beef Cattle Research Council webinar. Jesse Williams, a producer at Whiskey Creek Ranch in Alberta’s Special Area 2, said […] Read more
Irrigation modernization moves ahead in Alta.
Proponents say the projects that have already been completed made a significant difference to irrigators this past year
It’s full bore ahead for the nearly $1 billion Alberta Irrigation Modernization program launched more than two years ago that will see hundreds of kilometres of open canals converted to underground pipes, improved infrastructure and expanded reservoir capacity. Richard Phillips, chair of Irrigating Alberta, a consortium of 10 irrigation districts set up to manage the […] Read more
Crop insurance accounts for the lion’s share of Sask. gov’t payments made to producers
Saskatchewan producers should receive about $2 billion in business risk management support payments this year, the provincial and federal governments said last week. Forecasts based on the 30 percent of Saskatchewan Crop Insurance claims paid out so far show those payments alone could reach $1.85 billion. According to the corporation, the reserve fund would still […] Read more
Hub to study climate change’s effect on water
A UN University Hub focusing on water will be located at the University of Calgary to help communities adapt to changes
Bridging the gap between scientists and decision makers to better deal with the impact of climate change on water is one goal of a pioneering global initiative involving the University of Calgary. It has been named the home of the first United Nations University Hub in the world to focus on water, said Martyn Clark, […] Read more
