Canada: Alberta seeding ahead of five-year average

While the rate of spring planting in Alberta is 12.2 percent complete overall, there’s a disparity between the south and the rest of the province. Also, the pace was 2.6 points above the five-year average but 5.2 behind last year.

As of May 3, Alberta Agriculture found seeding in the south was at 36.5 percent complete, while that in the central region was 5.9 and the rest of the province was 0.1 to 0.6 percent done.

That’s due to the south being much drier than the rest of Alberta, rated at 31.2 percent poor, 28.1 fair, 40.3 good and 0.4 excellent. Province-wide the soil moisture levels are 21.7 percent poor, 28.2 fair, 37.8 good, 11.4 excellent and 0.9 excessive. The Peace River region was the most inundated with 0.4 percent poor, 7.5 fair, 27.5 good, 57.2 excellent and 7.4 excessive.

In terms of crops in the ground across Alberta, durum led the way at 52.9 percent planted, followed by potatoes at 44.8 percent. Lentils were next at 39.3 percent, chickpeas 34.4 and dry peas 21.8. The oilseeds and some cereals had slower progress, with mustard at 17.7 percent complete, barley 13, spring wheat 12.4, flax 11.7, canola 2.3, oats 0.7 and mixed grain 0.5.

Pasture growth across the province was worse off overall when compared to the five-average. Currently, pastures are 32 percent poor and 40.8 fair, 25.1 good and 2.1 excellent. The averages are 24.5 percent poor, 26.7 fair, 44.5 good and 4.3 excellent.

Tags: Alberta, mustard, durum, barley, Cereals, planting, spring wheat, lentils, dry peas, canola, mixed grain, oilseeds, chickpeas, oats, soil moisture