Dry soil and below-average snow packs could mean a late start to spring grazing for livestock producers in parts of Rocky View. The lack of moisture also increases the risk of winterkill on hay and pasture stands, cautions Grant Lastiwka, a forage and grazing specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD).
ìProducers should plan for delayed growth on their hay and pasture lands this spring and be prepared to keep their herds on winter feed supplies for at least a week longer than usual this spring ñ possibly longer, depending on when we get some moisture,î said Lastiwka. ìThe dry conditions really snuck up on us after such a wet start to the growing season last year. Itís surprising how quickly things turned around.î
Conditions are similar across large pockets of central, eastern and northern Alberta, with soil moisture ranging from an estimated one-in-six to one-in-50-year lows in these areas. Soil moisture in the county is generally near normal with a pocket of one-in-three to one in-six-year lows in the northeast, according to provincial soil moisture maps at located at online at www.agric.gov.ab.ca/acis
Despite the bad reports, Lastiwka said the risk could quickly lessen or turn around completely with early rain or wet snow once the ground starts to thaw in late March or April. He added hay and pasture stands typically begin growing in mid-to-late April.
But with conditions currently so dry, and the February 29 deadline to insure hay and pasture in Alberta just weeks away, Lastiwka said farmers should be aware so they can assess the soil moisture on their own land and decide how to manage the risk.
ìGrazing is half the cost of conventional feed systems. As producers begin rebuilding their cow herds after years of poor prices, protecting their lowest cost feed source is an important consideration,î said Lastiwka.
Ralph Wright, a provincial soil moisture specialist with ARD, says a dry fall is largely to blame for the conditions.
ìAlberta had a wet June and July, but thirsty crops and forage stands used up all that water,î he said. ìBy early September, our soil moisture was depleted. And from August to mid-November the rains basically stopped falling in many parts of Alberta, preventing the soils from getting a fall moisture recharge for next yearís crops before the ground froze.î
With no moisture in the soil, many hay and pasture stands stopped growing in August and became dormant much earlier than usual, forcing them to survive longer on their winter energy reserves, said Lastiwka.
ìAs those energy reserves become depleted over the winter, the plants will be slower to start growing this spring,î he said.
According to Lastiwka, the lack of snow cover and unseasonably warm temperatures earlier this winter, which were followed by a frigid blast of Arctic air in January, makes winterkill a strong possibility this spring, especially on older hay stands.
Alan Dougan, who runs a commercial hay operation southeast of Irricana, is especially concerned about winterkill this year because of the limited snow cover.
Despite getting plenty of rain and lots of good quality hay last year, the soil conditions on his farm are drier than normal, said Dougan.
ìA lot of the sloughs have dried up, and we didnít have much fall moisture to speak of,î he said. ìWe could be looking at a dry spring. Who knows?î
Dougan said with margins so tight in the hay industry, a lack of rain could easily put him out of business if he didnít insure his hay crop each year.
ìGetting enough moisture is always the biggest issue.î
Last year, more than $6 million was paid on hay and pasture insurance claims across Alberta mainly due to lack of moisture, said John Kresowaty, Perennial Insurance Coordinator with Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), the provincial crown corporation that administers crop insurance in Alberta.
Across central and southern Alberta, more than $3 million was paid to producers who experienced limited rainfall late in the season and production losses on hay.
According to Kresowaty, claims have also been triggered in southern Alberta by accidental pasture fires this winter due to dry conditions, high winds, and a lack of snow. Across northern Alberta and the Peace region, more than $3 million was paid after an extremely dry, cool spring delayed hay and pasture growth.
With this yearís dry conditions, Kresowaty expects participation in Perennial Insurance will increase.
ìWe often see that when soil moisture is dry,î he said.
For more details about Perennial Insurance, contact the AFSC Call Centre at 1-877-899-2372.
