Production of annual crops on the Canadian prairies: Trends during 1976-1998

Statistics on annual crop production for the Canadian prairies, Canada's largest agricultural region, were summarized by crop, soil zone, and province for the period 1976-1998. A brief discussion, demonstrating how these data can be used by agronomists and policy analysts to derive other information of interest to society (e.g., how much raw material is available for ethanol or strawboard production, or for C storage in soils), was presented. The results show that land seeded to cereals has remained fairly constant, but there has been a sharp decrease in the summerfallow area, with the rate of decrease on the Canadian prairies being 1.26% yr(-1) in the Brown soil zone, 7.5% yr(-1) in the Dark Brown, and 14.3% yr(-1) in the combined Black, Gray and Dark Gray soil zones. The rate of decline in summerfallow area was greater in Saskatchewan than in Alberta, and Manitoba (Black soils only) for unknown reasons. The decline in summerfallow area was accompanied by a steady increase in oilseed crops, especially canola (Brassica napus L.) and, since 1987, in pulse crops, especially lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) and dry pea (Pistan satiuum L.).