I know many of you don't want to hear this, but in my limited travels, I haven't seen a poor crop, I haven't even seen an average crop. Small area though, within an hour of Red Deer in most directions except North. And much of this area, especially further south was starving for moisture all spring and early summer, you would never know it now. I keep hearing reports of hail, but haven't seen any significant damage yet. we were beat up in early July, but recovered.
I haven't seen a standing barley field anywhere. Some looks nearly ripe, some is ripe with green second growth all through the lodged areas. My earliest seeded barley would have liked a drink long before it got one, but started tillering again in July when it rained, looks good now. Later seeded has looked better all along. Tried some Amisk barley for the first time. Staying disease free, Not lodging any worse than the Newdale right beside. Was billed as a replacement for Vivar, I think it might live up to it.
Wheat, standing much better, but still very thick. No signs of disease from the road.
I grew mostly Penhold CPS this year, it is standing perfectly. It really suffered from lack of moisture all spring, then tillered in July, still gets thicker by the day, timing could have been better.
Canola, I think Pioneer will have some new records to advertise this winter, it is loving this cool wet weather. No significant Sclerotinia yet that I've seen or heard of. Most is almost done flowering, a few fields still yellow. Comparing varieties I have this year: L252 seeded first, flowered first, and flowered the longest. Very impressive variety. L130 and L120 indistinguishable from each other for flowering timing and height, planted side by side, but I think the L130 does have bigger pods. Canterra 1990 is still yellow, and flowered sooner than Pioneer 45H29, 45H33 and 45CS40 all seeded in the same field at the same time. The Pioneers are taller though. All three have been indistinguishable from a distance. Some 43E03, it looks good now, but is more than a month behind, due to no moisture to germinate till July.
I don't grow peas so am not the best judge, but most peas looked quite short, thin and dirty all summer, but now that they are nearly ripe, they are full of tall lush flowering peas twice as tall. Not sure that is a good thing.
Faba beans. Not as many as last year. They looked awful last year in the dry. Much better this year, but I was surprised to see low spots drowned out in them. I thought they were water tolerant?
The corn crops I've seen look excellent and consistent compared to most years.
I doubt haying is even half finished in my area, rain nearly every day. Lots of very poor quality hay. And very poor quantity too, the rain was much too late to save the hay crops here, but I think that is a local phenomenon and unlikely to drastically affect the market. My hay is much worse than last year, and last year was a record drought.
Pastures were scary to look at all spring. Never seen brown grass in June before. But now are making up for it.
I haven't seen a standing barley field anywhere. Some looks nearly ripe, some is ripe with green second growth all through the lodged areas. My earliest seeded barley would have liked a drink long before it got one, but started tillering again in July when it rained, looks good now. Later seeded has looked better all along. Tried some Amisk barley for the first time. Staying disease free, Not lodging any worse than the Newdale right beside. Was billed as a replacement for Vivar, I think it might live up to it.
Wheat, standing much better, but still very thick. No signs of disease from the road.
I grew mostly Penhold CPS this year, it is standing perfectly. It really suffered from lack of moisture all spring, then tillered in July, still gets thicker by the day, timing could have been better.
Canola, I think Pioneer will have some new records to advertise this winter, it is loving this cool wet weather. No significant Sclerotinia yet that I've seen or heard of. Most is almost done flowering, a few fields still yellow. Comparing varieties I have this year: L252 seeded first, flowered first, and flowered the longest. Very impressive variety. L130 and L120 indistinguishable from each other for flowering timing and height, planted side by side, but I think the L130 does have bigger pods. Canterra 1990 is still yellow, and flowered sooner than Pioneer 45H29, 45H33 and 45CS40 all seeded in the same field at the same time. The Pioneers are taller though. All three have been indistinguishable from a distance. Some 43E03, it looks good now, but is more than a month behind, due to no moisture to germinate till July.
I don't grow peas so am not the best judge, but most peas looked quite short, thin and dirty all summer, but now that they are nearly ripe, they are full of tall lush flowering peas twice as tall. Not sure that is a good thing.
Faba beans. Not as many as last year. They looked awful last year in the dry. Much better this year, but I was surprised to see low spots drowned out in them. I thought they were water tolerant?
The corn crops I've seen look excellent and consistent compared to most years.
I doubt haying is even half finished in my area, rain nearly every day. Lots of very poor quality hay. And very poor quantity too, the rain was much too late to save the hay crops here, but I think that is a local phenomenon and unlikely to drastically affect the market. My hay is much worse than last year, and last year was a record drought.
Pastures were scary to look at all spring. Never seen brown grass in June before. But now are making up for it.
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