Reading Time: < 1 minute Last week just about all agriculture lands across the province received decent rain, with most areas receiving over 10mm. Three major areas received over 20 mm including western Peace, the land base along the Saskatchewan border stretching from Cold Lake down to the U.S. border and a large area west of highway 2 between Edson […] Read more
Seeding 99 per cent complete, soil moisture conditions improve
Alberta crop conditions as of June 5, 2018
Dry weather offers a break for late seeding efforts
Alberta crop conditions as of May 29, 2018
Reading Time: < 1 minute Dry weather conditions helped producers catch up with late seeding and contributed to quick germination and emergence. Recent hot and windy weather lead to the increased drying of both surface soil moisture and sub-surface soil moisture. The forecasted cooler temperatures and scattered showers throughout the province are anticipated to aid overall crop growing conditions. Provincially, […] Read more
Seeding makes good progress, surface soil moisture levels declining
Alberta crop conditions as of May 22, 2018
Reading Time: < 1 minute Warm and dry weather over the past week provided favourable conditions for seeding operations in most of the province. Provincially, seeding progress has increased 30 per cent from a week ago, to 67 per cent complete, compared to the 5-year average (2013-2017) of 83 per cent. Regionally, seeding progress is most advanced in the Southern […] Read more

Weed pressure ramps up in late spring
Weeds that emerge a week before the crop can cause up to 50 per cent yield loss
Reading Time: 3 minutes In a late spring like this one, you might be tempted to skip spraying for weeds to make up for lost time — but that decision could cost you. “The last few years, we’ve had early springs, so people weren’t feeling like they were under the gun,” said Harry Brook, crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture […] Read more
Thirty-eight per cent of crops seeded, soil moisture varies
Alberta crop conditions as of May 15, 2018
Reading Time: 2 minutes In the first half of May, temperatures have been the warmest since 1961 in most parts of the province and most areas received less than 10 mm of moisture. This has provided the ideal weather for quick ground thaw and allowed for seeding operations to be in full swing across the province. Provincially, as of […] Read more

Canola stocks comfortable, eyes on new crop
CNS Canada — Canadian canola stocks are rather large heading into the new growing season, but attention now is firmly on new-crop production. Statistics Canada on Friday pegged canola supplies in the country as of March 31 at 9.1 million tonnes, the second-largest on record for that time of year and about 1.1 million tonnes […] Read more

Grain trade skeptical of StatsCan’s acreage outlook
CNS Canada — After predictions of record canola area and a drop in pulse acres, traders and analysts are doubtful of Statistics Canada’s predictions for smaller canola acres, much larger wheat acres and only minor reductions in pulse acres. “It’s unusual for everybody to just be this out of whack on this report,” said Ken […] Read more

Trade predicts fewer pulse acres, another canola record
CNS Canada — With the uncertainty regarding the pulse exports to India, it’s looking like 2018 could see more canola acres planted in Canada. Statistics Canada will release its Principal Field Crop Areas report on Friday (April 27). Last year saw Canada’s canola area at a record 23 million acres, but this year could again […] Read more

Extended winter could lead to more Prairie oat acres
CNS Canada — With winter still hanging on across Western Canada, one buyer thinks it could lead to an uptick in oat acres. “Later seeding generally increases oat acres. We’d rather see them seeded earlier but farmers have had a tendency when things get late (to) throw some more acres into oats,” said Scott Shiels […] Read more

New cropping business tools available
Reading Time: < 1 minute The 2018 versions of Cropping Alternatives and the new Crop Budget Calculator tool are now available. They allow producers to project costs, margins, and break-even yields for potential crops. Cropping Alternatives “forecasts margins based on benchmark yields, current cost of production, expected revenues, and costs by soil zone. With this information producers can get an […] Read more