January 15, 2009

Snow cover in the eastern regions of the Canadian Prairies has been adequate enough to prevent damage to the winter wheat crop from cold temperatures, but western areas are considered vulnerable.

 

Snow acts as an insulating blanket for winter wheat plants, but an insufficient layer of snow can leave the plants exposed to extreme low temperatures that can damage or even kill the wheat.

 

"Considering that most of the winter wheat crop in western Canada is grown in the provinces of Manitoba and the more easterly regions of Saskatchewan, the crop is in good shape given the more than adequate snow cover levels," said Bruce Burnett, director of the Canadian Wheat Board's crop and weather surveillance department.

 

"The extreme cold temperatures the crop has had to endure so far is not believed to have caused any winterkill damage," he said. However, in the more western areas temperatures have been above normal and are a concern.

 

Burnett said the farther west one goes, the less snow cover there is for crops.

 

The warmer temperature readings certainly can reduce the snow cover, leaving the crop vulnerable to freeze damage and can also cause icing.

 

"An ice layer can cause physical damage to the crop and also has a tendency to transmit the cold far more readily," Burnett said.

 

Winter wheat in the southwestern region of Saskatchewan was at the greatest risk of suffering damage from the current warm readings and the outlooks calling for the return of extreme cold readings, Burnett said.

 

Jake Davidson, executive manager of Winter Cereals Canada, agreed that winter wheat crops in western Canada remain in good shape.

 

"Our members have been monitoring their crops pretty closely and while the temperatures have been extremely cold, there has also been good snow cover," Davidson said.

 

Davidson added that winter wheat in the areas of western Canada where the snow cover was not as great, were also doing pretty good.

 

"There are areas in the southwest areas of Saskatchewan that generally don't get a lot of snow, yet the producers in those areas continue to grow winter wheat," Davidson said. "The producers in those regions still manage to harvest a decent crop each year and that is why they are willing to take their chances with the cold."

 

Davidson also pointed out that producers in the Peace River region of northern Alberta, who saw their spring crops devastated by drought, turned to winter wheat.

 

"The area base in Alberta grew significantly in the fall, as producers in that area decided to take a chance on winter wheat," he said, noting that the Peace River district is not a traditional winter wheat growing region.

 

Davidson said seed dealers in Alberta ran out of winter wheat seed due to the demand for that crop from that region.

 

Statistics Canada estimated that seeded area to winter wheat in western Canada in the fall of 2008 totalled 1.370 million acres, of which 55,000 acres were planted in Manitoba, 550,000 in Saskatchewan and 270,000 in Alberta.