Introduction

Canadian farmers regularly deal with a level of unpredictability when it comes to weather, but in more recent years there has been an increase of extreme weather including unprecedented dry, hot summers and early frost and snow in fall.

These extreme weather conditions make farming more unpredictable and can lower the grade of crops. Some have argued that the extreme weather changes may be due to global warming. Regardless of what may be causing the extreme weather, what do the changes in weather patterns mean for Canadian farmers and their crops?

This article will look at both the positive and negative impacts extreme weather has on Canadian farmers and crops, historical data on harvesting crops and innovative solutions that are being created to help farmers manage the unpredictable weather patterns in the future.

Negative Impacts of Extreme Weather on Crops

• Lower grade crops.

• Farmers are falling behind on harvesting schedules.

• Bugs that eat crops may live longer in hot, dry summers, causing more damage to crops (increase in pests and pathogens).

• Extreme weather could lead to soil-moisture patterns changing.

Positive Impacts of Extreme Weather on Crops

• If global temperature was to increase by four degrees over time, Canada’s GDP is predicted to increase by around 0.3 per cent.

• Arable land could increase anywhere from 26 to 40 per cent by 2040.

• Research by the University of Alberta found that barley grows more efficiently in hot, dry weather.

• Extreme weather conditions in other countries, such as wet summers in India could lead to countries needing to purchase more agriculture products from Canada.

An example of how harvesting has been impacted by extreme weather is the fluctuation in crops harvested over the past ten years due to early frost and snow. The graph below shows a progression of crops harvested in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba over the past ten years and a weather summary by province that correlates with it.  

Average Days Below -5 degrees During the Month of October

Alberta – Harvesting decreased from last year by 15 per cent and is down from the five-year and ten-year averages by two and six per cent respectively. Alberta also showed a colder October this year than the previous ten years.

Saskatchewan – Harvesting decreased from last year by two per cent and is down from its five and ten-year average by three and four per cent respectively. Saskatchewan experienced a colder October this year than the previous ten years.

Manitoba – Harvesting decreased 20 per cent from last year and is down 21 per cent from its three-year average. Manitoba’s cold days were on par with last year, but 2018 and 2019 had an average of five more cold days than in 2014 and 2009.

Some of the most impacted crops this year by extreme weather in the prairies include flax, canola and oats.

Canadian Farmers Reducing GHG Emissions

The Pan-Canadian Framework’s goal is to decrease Canadian greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions to 30 per cent below Canada’s 2005 levels and Canadian farmers have actively been trying to do their part in reducing emissions. Farmers are reducing tillage which enables the organic matter in the soil to not be disturbed and can properly break down, allowing for the soil to absorb more carbon. Another way to increase the amount of carbon the soil absorbs is to plant a non-cash crop to add more organic matter to the soil.

To help farmers reduce their GHG emissions, the federal government committed to investing $70 million for science and innovation to support the agriculture industry in 2018, including $27 million to help farmers reduce their GHG emissions.

Examples of Innovations Being Created to Help Farmers:

• U of C is working on a new canola seed that is protected from frost and pod drop (pod drop is when the whole canola pod falls into the ground).

• Research has shown that planting more trees/ shrubs on farming land can lead to the soil being able to hold more water and reduce the risk of floods.

• Ontario based EcoEnviro Labs Inc. is working on a new organic bioplastic mulch made from poultry feathers.

• Manitoba based Expert Systems Inc. is working on a drone-based technology that uses artificial intelligence to provide a fully autonomous crop protection spraying solution to help reduce herbicide and pesticide use.

• Indoor farming is another solution to extreme weather changes, with more and more indoor vertical and aquaponic farms commencing operations in Canada.

In conclusion, there are both positives and negatives that result from extreme weather changes. With the help of technological innovation, farmers are better positioned to overcome farming in unpredictable weather and to help reduce GHG emissions at the same time.