Warm and dry weather sped the Alberta harvest well past the halfway mark this past week.
Friday’s provincial crop report showed 59% of major crops (spring wheat, oats, barley, peas and canola) were in the bin as of Tuesday. That’s up 20 points on the week and comfortably ahead of the five- and 10-year averages of 52% and 41%, respectively.
The weather has accelerated progress in most regions, though at the expense of already depleted soil moisture reserves, the report said.
Regionally, the South leads with 67% of crops combined, followed closely by the Peace Region at 61%. The North West and North East are at 59% and 56% complete, while the Central Region trails at 53%.
By crop, dry peas are nearly finished at 98% complete, spring wheat and barley are each 75% harvested, oats are at 63%, and canola—traditionally one of the later crops—is 28% complete. Another 33% of canola fields have been swathed, setting up for rapid combining once conditions allow.
Although harvest progress has benefitted from the warm, dry stretch, scattered showers in parts of the South and Central regions have done little to ease overall dryness. Moisture stress remains a pressing concern, particularly in the North East, North West, and Peace regions where growing conditions were already strained. In the South and Central, persistent high temperatures and warm winds have further drained reserves, the report said.
Provincial surface moisture is rated just 29% good to excellent as of Tuesday, well below the five-year average of 43%. While farmers welcome the rapid harvest pace, the ongoing lack of rainfall raises concerns for fall soil recharge and conditions heading into next spring.
