Winter’s persistent grip is testing the patience of even the most weather-tolerant of Central Albertans. But farmers are probably squirming more than others.
Every cold, soggy day delays spring seeding a little more — with possible repercussions on crop yields and quality.
“We need heat and sunny weather to dry things up so we can get ready to seed,” said Harry Brook, a field crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture’s Ag Info Centre in Stettler. “The soil is still frozen for the most part.”
Even with the most optimistic of forecasts, farmers are unlikely to get into their fields this month, he said.
“It’s going to take until at least the first week of May, and probably the second week of May, before the fields will be ready for driving on.”
The problem is widespread, added Brook, noting that even farmers in Southern Alberta are frozen out.
“There have been years when they start seeding in March.”
The immediate consequence of a late start to the 2011 crop year will be a stressful period for farmers as they race to catch up, said Brook. Those with large areas to seed will be in the toughest situation.
A late-seeded crop also has less time to grow, meaning lower yield potential, said Brook. And there is a heightened risk that seeds will still be vulnerable when the first killing frost hits.
“That’s what happened last year,” said Brook, recalling how a cool spring and summer delayed the ripening of crops and ultimately led to lower grades due to frost damage.
On the plus side, few farmers will be scratching the soil wondering if there is sufficient moisture for germination.
“The fear of drought this spring is pretty much alleviated,” said Brook with a laugh.
“If we had a real warm spell here, you could see some terrific crops getting started.”
He anticipates that much of Alberta will be yellow this year, with producers taking advantage of the high returns that canola currently offers. However, that could change if the grow season continues to shrink, since the input costs for canola — a slower-growing crop — are steep.
“The financial risk is much higher than it would be with other crops like barley, wheat or oats.”
By the latter part of May, many producers who haven’t yet seeded will likely be considering faster-growing crops like barley, he said.
Brook sees some appeal in oats this year. They don’t generate nearly the revenue per bushel as canola, but the seed is cheaper and the fertilizer requirements lower.
“Last year there were people that were getting 160 or 170 bushels of oats per acre. And at three bucks a bushel . . . because of the lower costs, it was netting very comparable to canola.”
Diesel costs will be high this year, noted Brook, but fertilizer won’t be as costly as it was in 2008. However, he has concerns about supplies — particularly with a compressed seeding season.
“Will you be able to access the fertilizer you need when you need it? There’s only so much storage space in your local retailer and at your fertilizer manufacturer.
“It could be a real bottleneck this year in production.”
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com