Fig. 38 Total Area of Alberta Farms and Land Use Distribution, 1986-2011
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Agriculture, 1986-2011
Fig. 39 Tillage Practices on Alberta Farms, 1991-2011
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Agriculture, 1991-2011
1991
1996
2001
2006
2011
14.3
10.7
6.8
4.6
2.5
4.8
6.2
6.6
5.2
4.5
0.6
1.9
5.1
9.0
12.9
1986
1991
1996
2001
2006
2011
44%
45%
45%
46%
46%
48%
39%
38%
39%
37%
38%
38%
7%
8%
9%
11%
12%
12%
10%
9%
7%
6%
4%
3%
51.04
51.43
51.96
52.06
52.13
Total Area
of Farms:
Millions of Acres
Tillage Incorporating
Crop Residue
Tillage Retaining Crop
Residue on Surface
No-till or Zero-till
Area in Millions of Acres
Land in Crops
All Other Land (including
unimproved pasture)
Tame or Seeded Pasture
Summerfallow
Per Cent Distribution
While total farm area declined to 50.5 million acres in 2011, the total productive land under crops in Alberta increased
1.4
per cent to 24.1 million acres, and accounted for 48 per cent of the province’s total farm area.
The use of environmentally friendly practices has increased in the past two decades. In 2011, no-till or zero-till
methods were used on 12.9 million acres or 53.6 per cent of cropland, compared to 0.6 million acres or 2.7 per cent
in 1991.
50.50
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Alberta Agriculture Statistics Yearbook, 2012