Alberta major crop conditions were little changed this past week, with some parts of the province still overly wet and others becoming too dry.
Friday's weekly crop provincial crop report pegged the overall condition of major crops (spring wheat, oats, barley, canola, and peas) at 63% good to excellent as of Tuesday, down a single point from a week earlier. However, that remains well above the five-year average of 47% and the 10-year average of 59%.
Conditions were strongest in southern and central Alberta. Major crops were rated 85% good to excellent in the South and 81% in the Central Region. Ratings were considerably weaker farther north, at 54% in the Peace Region, 48% in the North East and 31% in the North West.
Among individual crops, dry peas had the highest provincial rating at 71% good to excellent. Spring wheat and barley were both rated 68%, followed by canola at 54% and oats at 48%. Many canola and pea fields were nearing the end of flowering and beginning pod development.
Warm temperatures accelerated crop growth across the province, although major cereals continued to lag their normal seasonal development. Spring wheat, barley and oats were generally in the early flowering stage, compared with the five-year average of early milk development and the 10-year average of late flowering. Development ranged from mid-head emergence in the Peace to early milk in the South, reflecting the effects of cool, wet conditions earlier in the season.
Provincial surface soil moisture rated good to excellent fell four points to 68% but remained above the five-year average of 39% and the 10-year average of 50%.
Moisture conditions remained sharply divided across the province. Continued rainfall raised excessive surface moisture to 42% in the North West. On the other hand, the South endured a second consecutive hot week and will require additional rainfall to support crop development. Poor-to-fair moisture ratings also increased in the Central and Peace regions as limited precipitation failed to offset drying temperatures. Hail was reported in every region, although the extent of damage varied.
The full report can be seen here:
https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/9af5b54d-f334-46ca-a0b1-23e560edb353/resource/f1c77d79-65ff-4f2e-bc72-4b19c3854106/download/agi-tedab-alberta-crop-report-2026-07-21-abbreviated-report.pdf
