A late-season winter storm that dropped as much as 40 centimetres snow in parts of Western Canada earlier this month represents little more than ‘a drop in the bucket’ when it comes to drought relief, a government agroclimate specialist says.
In the latest edition of the Canola Council of Canada’s Canola Watch report, Trevor Hadwen said cumulative three-year moisture deficits throughout much of the Prairies are now over 300mm or 12 inches. As such, significantly more precipitation is needed to materially change the extent of the current drought.
“The recent precipitation is quite literally a drop in the bucket compared to the moisture deficits accrued through the past few years,” Hadwen said.
Although southern Alberta and much of Saskatchewan have received near normal winter precipitation, Hadwen said warmer than normal temperatures have reduced the snowpack, and increased moisture loss through evaporation and sublimation. In addition, warmer than normal temperatures and low precipitation in the early winter has resulted in large regions of the Prairies having exposed soils through the winter, causing additional moisture loss.
“Significant late winter snow and early spring rainfall will be needed to help kickstart the growing season with some much-needed moisture.”
The latest monthly update of the Canadian drought monitor showed 95% of Prairie agricultural lands impacted by abnormally dry or drought conditions as of the end of February, with conditions the most severe in Alberta.
Covering over half of the agricultural land in the province, 51 Alberta river basins are currently reporting critical water shortages due to low precipitation and higher than normal temperatures. Winter snowpack is significantly below average, rivers are at record low levels, and most of the province's reservoirs are currently 5 metres below their normal waterlines, the monitor said.
The Canola Council has put together 10 tips for growers to help protect canola yield potential in dry years, including leaving tall stubble and seeding in between the stubble rows.
The full list of tips is available here
