(Resource News International) –– Seeding completion in Alberta ranges from 50 per cent in southern areas to 90 per cent complete in more northerly regions as of June 1, according to a provincial crop specialist.
But seeding procedures across the province have been at a halt due to the rain and snowfall that started mid-week of May 26.
The weather conditions increased moisture levels, especially in the southern part of the province which was already having difficulty, said Mark Cutts, crop specialist at Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s Ag-Info Centre at Stettler.
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Cutts expects Alberta growers will be able to continue seeding starting as early as June 2 in central areas of the province. However, he predicts producers in southern areas won’t be able to resume for another week to 10 days.
The snowfall Alberta received came without frost, and Cutts says there is no concern over the effect it will have on the crop because of how fast it melted.
Soil moisture levels in the province are high to very high in the southern part of Alberta, sentral Alberta is moderately high to normal, and the Peace region is normal to moderately low, according to Cutts.
“If you went from southern to northern Alberta, your moisture situation gets drier as you move from the south to the north,” Cutts said.
Before the rain and snowfall, some producers in the province had begun spraying early-seeded crops. Cutts expects farmers will continue if the weather stays favourable as some crops are ready to be sprayed.
Alberta’s winter wheat crop is good and the recent moisture should help develop the grain.
“They should really take off quite nicely now,” said Cutts.
The Peace region had large number of grasshoppers in 2009 and Cutts says producers will be monitoring if the insects return. Also, he noted diamondback moths have been found in traps across the province.
