Heavy rains this month have bogged down the start of this year's harvest and may put a damper on its quality, say crop experts.
Sturgeon County farmers have started to roll their combines in recent weeks as they start this year's harvest.
Last Friday's Alberta Crop Report said that just 0.2 per cent of the Edmonton region's crops were in the bin as of Aug. 16, putting the region slightly behind schedule compared to the five-year average of 1.6 per cent.
Most county farmers are just starting to harvest their peas this week, said Ward Middleton of Midmore Farms near Morinville. He was well into it on his farm, but that's because he planted early-growing crops such as winter wheat.
August's frequent rains may be slowing down farmers, as they can't harvest when it's too wet out, said Middleton, who was himself twiddling his thumbs instead of working the fields Monday due to a torrential downpour. It also means farmers will have to make more use of grain dryers before they put their crops in the bin.
André Montpetit of Sturgeon Valley Fertilizer said farmers are maybe three to five days behind where they usually would be at this time of year for harvesting. That's not a big concern, he added – the main worry right now is the chance of a late-August frost.
Alberta Agriculture reports that some 97 per cent of this year's crops are in good or excellent condition in the Edmonton region. That's a big improvement over last year's 13 per cent and the five-year average of 67 per cent.
While the rain could cause some quality concerns later on, Middleton agreed that this year's crops were looking pretty good.
"There are some fat-looking crops in the county."
Fat, but hollow?
Alberta had close to ideal growing conditions for most of this summer, which has made for some awesome looking crops, said Alberta agriculture crop specialist Harry Brook.
"Our bushel weight should be very good," as most grains are producing big heads with lots of seeds in them.
High quantity typically means lower quality, though, as plants spread the same amount of nutrients amongst more seed and make less protein, Brook said. Still, that just knocks a few cents off per bushel, and if you have plenty of bushels (as most will this year), it all balances out.
Montpetit said the dry start to the growing season caused uneven germination in many fields, which means farmers are now harvesting a lower-quality mix of mature and immature plants. The wet and windy August, meanwhile, has let fungal diseases such as sclerotinia (stem rot) flourish in some fields and contributed to lodging (plants falling over) in others, the latter of which makes crops tougher to collect.
It's also made for some lousy hay, as it's never stopped raining long enough for the hay to dry, Brook said. The rain has also started to bleach the colour out of wheat kernels, which could affect its price.
"If the weather pattern continues to hold with frequent rains, it's going to play havoc with our quality."
Environment Canada was predicting rain for most of the Edmonton region this week.
While all this rain won't help this year's crop, it should help next year's by replenishing our dry soils, Montpetit said.
Farmers will be going full-blast on the harvest in about a week, working long into the night and using heavy machinery, Middleton said. He advised all drivers to be careful on the roads as farmers may be driving large vehicles on them.
Farming is a dangerous job, and farmers should make sure to pay attention and get enough sleep at this time of year, Brook said.
"Take the time to do it right."
See www.agriculture.alberta.ca for the latest Alberta Crop Report.
