Excess Moisture Concerns In Parts Of Alberta

Jun 16, 2020

Some warm, dry weather and no wind is what farmers across Alberta, and many areas of the Prairies would like to see now.

Recent rains have definitely helped to improve soil moisture and pasture conditions but sunshine would help with crop development.

In Alberta, heavy rains in the North West and Peace River areas have resulted in excess moisture and left standing water in the field.

Alberta's crop report shows 98% of the 2020 crop is in the ground, with about 75% of the crop emerged.

AFSC's Product Development Analyst Ken Handford says crop development varies on where you are in the province.

"The crops in the southern part of the province are the most developed where they're actually into well into the tillering stage. Then you have Central Alberta, the North East and the North West where the majority of the crops are in the three to five-leaf stage and the Peace region where they are a little bit delayed. They're just entering the seedling stage right now."

He notes they've had accumulations in the last couple of weeks of up to seven or eight inches so it's resulted in a fair bit of damage and water in the field.

In the south there's been some reseeding of crops due to flea beetles, flooding, crusting and wind damage.

Farmer's who are still working on their seeding operations are being reminded that the seeding deadline is coming up June 20th.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.