Crop development across the prairies is quite variable.
That was the message yesterday from Bruce Burnett, Glacier Farm Media’s Director of Weather and Market Information.
He recently wrapped up a 10 day, 4500-kilometre crop tour across Western Canada.
"We have a major drought in the southern growing areas, especially in Saskatchewan and also in part of Alberta," Burnett said. "Those regions have certainly suffered from the heat and dryness that has occurred essentially since the crops were planted. In other areas of the prairies though to we've dried out in the central areas both in Alberta and Saskatchewan and are starting to see the impacts there."
He notes many areas south of the Number 1 are experiencing extremely dry, drought like conditions.
"The crops are shorter, the stem densities are quite a bit less, the head sizes on the durum and the spring wheat crops are certainly a lot less than they have been over the past two years," he said. "For Canola and other crops in the south, unfortunately, this heat has really taken its toll on the crops and especially with later planted fields with poor emergence, those yield potentials are very low, probably looking at crop insurance type levels already."
Source : Discoverestevan