Glacier FarmMedia | MarketsFarm — Spring planting in Alberta made a 27-point jump at 47 per cent complete during the week ended May 13, according to the latest crop report from the province. That’s 21 points above the five-year average.
Progress in southern Alberta continued to be far ahead of the rest of the province at 76 per cent, up 30 points on the week. However, producers also made strong progress in the other regions:
• Central advanced 31 points at 51 per cent done
• Northeast also progressed 31 points at 37 per cent finished
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• Northwest is up 21 points at 29 per cent complete
• Peace River pushed 17 points at 27 per cent seeded.
By crop, emergence
By crop, Alberta’s dry peas were furthest along at 74 per cent seeded, followed by the spring wheat at 66 per cent. Barley was next, near the halfway point with canola at 24 per cent finished and oats at 17 per cent.
The report cited overall emergence at 10 per cent, seven points more than the five-year average. By region that worked out to be 19 per cent in the central, 15 per cent in the south, five in the northwest, and three in the northeast and Peace.
Moisture levels
Surface soil moisture levels, from the ground to six inches down, rated 59 per cent good to excellent, virtually on par with the five-year average. Recent precipitation helped to improve some ratings, but there were declines in others:
• Central up 20 points at 85 per cent G-E
• Peace down 11 points at 56 per cent G-E
• South dipped two points at 50 per cent G-E
• Northeast climbed 13 points at 45 per cent G-E
• Northwest held at 41 per cent G-E
Of note, no part of Alberta had any excessive surface soil moisture levels.
The report placed pasture growth conditions at 59 per cent good to excellent provincewide, 11 points above the five-year average. Alberta’s tame hay also came in at 59 per cent good to excellent, 15 points ahead of average.
