Fields throughout the foothills should be bustling with activity as farmers seed their crops, but a cold, wet and snowy spring has put the planting well behind schedule.
“We’d normally be started by now,” said Okotoks-area farmer Mike Imler. “If the weather holds this week, we may have a chance, but it’s going to be a while that’s for sure.”
He said he doesn’t know yet when he will be able to start seeding. If the weather is good this week, he said he might be able to start by the middle of May and once he starts it won’t take long to complete.
Things should turn around quickly if warmer temperatures stick around for the rest of the week, said Imler.
Ideally, he would like three weeks of warm weather followed by some rain.
“We need some hot windy days to dry things up,” Imler added.
He said the ground is still quite wet, or snow covered, in some locations. Imler can work around some of the wet spots, but it can make things more difficult.
“Most fields are bare wherever it’s flat,” he said. “Where there’s a north facing slope there’s still snow laying there. Anywhere there’s still water laying, who knows how long it’s going to lay there.”
It’s a similar story as the weather has put seeding operations behind schedule across the province.
Harry Brook, Alberta Agriculture Information Centre crop specialist, said seeding in southern Alberta is about three weeks behind schedule and two weeks behind schedule in central Alberta.
“Basically I have not yet seen a tractor in the fields,” he said. “It’s going to be a challenging spring.”
Brook said the weather is a mixed blessing. While the moisture will get the crops off to a good start, he said the ground is largely too wet to get onto the fields in the first place and the cooler temperatures will make it tough for crops to germinate.
Further delays could end up being costly.
Brook said crops can lose 1.2 per cent of their yield for every day after May 1 seeding is completed.
“The real concern we’re seeing is there’s a lot of crop that has to go in in a real short time, and a lot of it you lose yield potential the later you seed,” he said.
It would be even more difficult for farmers with large areas to seed.
“If you have 10,000 or 15,000 acres to seed it’s going to take you more than a week,” said Brook. “Those are the ones who are sweating.”
In the end, he said farmers have few excuses to not be ready when the weather is right and to ensure all their equipment is in good shape.
“Most producers should be ready,” said Brook.
