Parts of Western Canada have endured consecutive years of severe drought, and subsoil moisture levels are well below normal
A wetter-than-expected spring has Western Canadian farmers breathing a sigh of relief, but drought remains a significant worry.
LeRoy Newman, who farms wheat, barley, canola and peas just south of Calgary, said last year’s drought was so bad in his area that his 2023 crop was a “disaster.” This spring’s milder temperatures and series of gentle rainfalls have come as a big relief, he said. This means that while it may seem as if recent rainfall has been plentiful, it has done little more than replenish the parched topsoil. The deep subsoil, which crops depend on for water and nutrients, remains in a significant moisture deficit.“We really haven’t filled up the storage capacity of the soil at all. And if we get those hot, windy days in the summer, the plants will use up half an inch of water a day.
But that projection is dependent on “normal” weather conditions, the federal department warned in its May 21 outlook.
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