During this monitoring period, the harvest of winter wheat was completed in July, while the sowing of the summer crops maize, soybean and spring wheat took place in April and May. According to agroclimatic indicators, Canada experienced wet and cool weather. Overall, crop conditions lagged behind average until mid-June, but then improved to average levels in the Saint Lawrence basin and to above-average levels in the Prairies. Overall, crop conditions are favorable.

The rainfall was above the 15-year average (RAIN, +8%) while the temperature (TEMP, -1.1°C) and radiation (RADPAR, -5%) were below average. Below-average temperatures and radiation led to a decrease in potential biomass (BIOMSS, -7%). The rainfall profile shows that the precipitation was slightly below average in April and Mid-June and above average for the rest of the period. The time-series of temperature depicts that they were below average in April and subsequently tended to stay sligthly below average. The cold temperatures in early April may have delayed the sowing of the summer crops. The NDVI profile map shows that the crop conditions were below average until mid-June and improved to above average by the end of this monitoring period. The crop condition was best on 21.5% of the cropped area, concentrated in the south of Ontario and patches in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The general negative deviation from the long-term average was due to to the cooler-than-usual temperatures, so the crops developed more slowly. But conditions had recovered to normal or above normal by July. The national maximum VCI value was 0.96, and the CALF was slightly above the recent 5-year average (CALF, +1%).

The overall conditions of winter wheat in Canada are assessed as average, and the prospects for the summer crops, including spring wheat, are favorable.

Regional analysis 

The Prairies (area identified as 53 in the crop condition clusters map) and Saint Lawrence basin (49) are the major agricultural regions in Canada.

The rainfall in the Prairies, the main food production area in Canada, was above average (RAIN 452 mm, +30%), while the temperature(TEMP, -1.5°C)  and radiation (RADPAR, -6%) was below average, leading to a decrease of potential biomass by 11%. The major crops in this region are winter wheat and spring wheat. According to the NDVI development graph and NDVI profile, crop condition were below average until June. Subsequently, they improved greatly. The negative departures were due to the delayed sowing of spring wheat. Nevertheless, crop conditions in the Prairies are favorable, mostly due to abundant rainfall. 

The conditions in the Saint Lawrence basin differed from the rest of the country as rainfall (RAIN, -15%) was below average. Temperature (TEMP, -0.6°C) was also below average, while radiation did not deviate from the 15YA (RADPAR, 0%). This had led to an increase in potential biomass (BIOMSS, +1%). According to the NDVI development graph, crop conditions were slightly below average in May, and close to the average level thereafter. As in the Prairies, this was due to the delayed sowing of the summer crops. Crop conditions are favorable for this region. 

Figure 3.12 Canada’s crop condition, April- July 2020

(a). Phenology of major crops

(b) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI  (c) Maximum VCI

(d) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA   (e) NDVI profiles

(f) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Canadian Prairies region (left) and Saint Lawrence basin region (right))

Table 3.15. Canada’s agroclimatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 15YA, April - July 2020

Table 3.16. Canada agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure, April - July 2020