Alberta crop conditions as of September 11, 2018
Favourable weather conditions at the beginning of the past week led to harvest progress of about 11 per cent in Alberta, before the cold arctic weather brought a mix of rain and snow later in the week, which halted harvest. Provincially, about 28 per cent of crops have now been harvested, up 11 per cent […] Read more
Alberta crop conditions as of September 4, 2018
Wet weather over the past week has slowed down harvesting operations in most areas across the province, especially in the North East, North West and Peace Regions. Frost was reported in some areas, but it is still early to estimate any potential damage. Currently, the quality for all crops are estimated higher than their short […] Read more
Unsettled weather conditions continue to plague the 2018 harvest season. Producers made very little progress this past week as intermittent showers and rainfall affected all regions. Along with the moisture, cooler weather led to unwelcome frost and ended the long-lasting hot dry spell. The early morning hours saw temperatures in the central region fall below […] Read more
Don’t assume workers know ‘the basics’ and build a separate safe play area for young children
Harvest is the peak season for agricultural-related injuries and fatalities, and new and young workers have a higher rate of injury on the job. “Always take the time to first go through the activity of training the youth, even if it feels repetitive or redundant — this will ensure they learn and practise the safest […] Read more
Don’t neglect the basics when storing grain or oilseeds, says provincial crop specialist
A little preparation prior to harvesting can ensure worry-free winter crop storage, says a provincial crop specialist. “Warm or wet conditions at harvest and multi-staged crops are potential ingredients for storage problems,” said Harry Brook. “Take the time to monitor the stored grain’s condition and cool those bins down. Don’t get an unpleasant surprise when […] Read more
Alberta crop conditions as of August 21, 2018
Provincially, crop conditions continue to gradually decline and are more than 8 points below the 5 year average of 65.4 per cent. As expected, the South region saw little reprieve from the endured drought and the crop conditions suffered with only 39.6 per cent rated as good or excellent. In contrast, the conditions experienced in […] Read more
If elms on your property are in autumn mode already, they may be infected with Dutch elm disease (DED). “Symptoms of DED infection are leaves initially wilting followed by curling, turning yellow, and then brown,” said Janet Feddes-Calpas, executive director of the Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease. “This is also referred to as flagging. […] Read more
Beef production in Alberta rose by an estimated five per cent last year to just over 732,000 tonnes, says a provincial livestock market analyst. One-sixth of that amount was consumed in Alberta, another 51 per cent was sold in Canada, and just under a quarter went to the U.S., said Jason Wood. The remainder (8.4 […] Read more
You don’t want fusarium-damaged kernels lowering grade or spreading spores, says crop specialist
Producers need to make combine adjustments to prevent kernels damaged by fusarium head blight from going into storage, says a provincial crop specialist. Harvest management of fusarium-damaged kernels (FDK) will improve the grade of a cereal crop, said Neil Whatley. “Many FDKs — especially in wheat — are smaller, lighter in weight, and more shrunken […] Read more
Alberta crop conditions as of August 14, 2018
General rainfall happened across a large area from northwestern parts of the Central Region to the North West and North East Regions, with precipitation from five to 50 mm, bringing needed moisture to the fields after a spell of hot and dry conditions. Precipitation in the Peace Region varied from spotty showers to an inch […] Read more
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