Reading Time: < 1 minute The province endured some erratic weather this past week ranging from strong winds, a little hail, some cooler than normal temperatures and random rainfall. At this time there is standing water in some fields while others are parched. Recent rainfalls have contributed to an overall increase in surface soil moisture rated as good or better, […] Read more
Crops improve in South, Central Alberta, other regions see declines
Alberta crop conditions as of July 3, 2018
Anthrax an increased threat this summer
Reading Time: < 1 minute Weather conditions have created the ‘perfect storm’ for increased anthrax risk in many parts of the country. The highly contagious and infectious soil-borne disease can infect most mammals, but especially bison and beef cattle. It is most common if there is a drought after soil has been disturbed (such as by flooding, heavy rains, soil […] Read more
Farming every acre doesn’t pay when the wind is howling
Producers are being urged to ‘rethink’ shelterbelts and how they preserve moisture and protect soil
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta farmers are being urged to “rethink” shelterbelts — and soil conservation experts agree. Zero till hasn’t made shelterbelts obsolete and this year’s dry conditions have shown the value of having something to disrupt the flow of hot winds blowing over fields, said Toso Bozic, Alberta Agriculture’s agro-forestry specialist. “Planting new windbreaks needs to be […] Read moreRain on the plains makes for good crop gains
Alberta crop conditions as of June 19, 2018
Reading Time: 2 minutes Over the past week, there were some welcome rain showers in the western parts of the province, bringing sufficient moisture to support the active growth of both annual and perennial crops. While many areas in the west of the Southern and Central Regions received at least 30 mm of rain, rainfall for the west parts […] Read more
Consider canola crop’s potential yield before spraying
As July approaches and crop canopies close, sclerotinia will be on the minds of many canola growers. But will it pay to spray? Fungicide applications are more likely to be profitable when the canola hits 30-40 bushels per acre, said Colleen Redlick, senior technical development specialist at BASF. Justine Cornelsen, agronomy specialist with the Canola […] Read more
Mixed weather finds Alberta crops, pasture, hay conditions improve
Alberta crop conditions as of June 12, 2018
Reading Time: 2 minutes Over the past week, most areas of the province received timely rains, with the highest rainfall accumulations since the beginning of June seen in the North East Region, and the lowest in the western parts of the Southern and Central Regions. This weather system was also responsible for hail and strong winds, in different parts […] Read more
Mother Nature’s recipe for making very severe thunderstorms
There are some key ingredients that (usually) are needed to create a truly wicked summer storm
Reading Time: 3 minutes As the heat continues to build across the Prairies, the chances for thunderstorms have also increased. We began our look at thunderstorm fundamentals that lead to garden-variety thunderstorms. But while these types of thunderstorms are fun to watch, we all know how quickly they can turn into severe thunderstorms. A couple of weeks ago we […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, soy drop to multi-month lows as weather improves
Chicago | Reuters — Forecasts for crop-boosting weather in key growing areas of the U.S. Midwest pushed corn and soybean futures to multi-month lows on Thursday, traders said. Wheat futures also were sharply lower, their second straight day of steep declines, with investors continuing to push back against a sharp rally on Tuesday amid abundant […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Edible beans in good shape for now
CNS Canada — Manitoba’s edible bean crops are generally in good shape, although too much moisture could become a concern. Canadian farmers intended to plant 246,000 acres of edible beans in 2018, which would be down slightly from 333,000 the previous year, according to Statistics Canada data. Of that total, Manitoba edible bean area was […] Read more
Seeding 99 per cent complete, soil moisture conditions improve
Alberta crop conditions as of June 5, 2018
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