Cool, wet, and windy weather continued to slow spring fieldwork across Alberta over the past week, leaving provincial seeding progress behind normal despite strong advances in southern areas of the province.
The weekly Alberta crop report on Friday showed the planting of all crops at 53% complete as of Tuesday, below both the five-year average of 61% and the 10-year average of 59%.
The South region remains far ahead of the rest of the province, with major crops 80% planted (spring wheat, oats, barley, canola, and peas) and all crops nearly 79% complete. Central Alberta was 59% seeded, while progress slowed considerably farther north due to excess moisture, cool temperatures, frost events, and persistent winds. Major crop seeding was only 36% complete in the North East and 33% complete in both the North West and Peace regions.
Spring wheat and dry peas continue to lead seeding activity provincially, with 66% and 70% planted, respectively. Durum was nearly 78% seeded, driven largely by strong progress in southern Alberta, while barley was 55% complete. Canola and oats lagged behind, at 31% and 23% seeded respectively, reflecting delays in many regions.
Crop emergence across Alberta was estimated at 13%, still below the five-year average of 20%. Early-seeded spring cereals are generally in the emergence to one-to-three leaf stage, while fall-seeded crops have advanced to tillering and early stem elongation. Winter crops were rated 63% good-to-excellent.
Moisture conditions across Alberta remain highly variable. Most regions received light to moderate precipitation during the week, although parts of the Peace region saw heavier rainfall while some southern and central areas remained relatively dry. Provincially, surface moisture was rated 67% good-to-excellent, slightly above the long-term average, although conditions varied sharply by region. The Peace region reported the strongest moisture profile, with nearly 87% rated good-to-excellent and 7% excessive. In contrast, the Central region continued to struggle with dryness, with over 37% of surface moisture rated poor-to-fair.
Producers are hoping warmer temperatures and more consistent rainfall will improve emergence, support forage growth, and allow seeding progress to accelerate in the weeks ahead, the report said.
Region One: South (Strathmore, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Foremost)
• Seeding for all crops (major crops) is 79 (80) per cent complete, ahead of the 5-year averages of 75 (76) per cent and remains the most advanced region provincially.
• Sub-surface moisture is limited and variable, with strong winds contributing to drying in some areas. Conditions are rated 18 per cent poor, 33 per cent fair, 44 per cent good, 5 per cent excellent, and 0 per cent excessive.
• Tame hay conditions are generally favourable with conditions rated as 5 per cent poor, 28 per cent fair, 66 per cent good and 1 per cent excellent.
• Fall-seeded crops are rated 7 per cent poor, 24 per cent fair, 65 per cent good and 4 per cent excellent.
Region Two: Central (Rimbey, Airdrie, Coronation, Oyen)
• Seeding for all crops (major crops) is 59 (59) per cent complete, slightly below the 5-year average of 63 (63) per cent.
• Sub-surface moisture conditions are mostly low, with scattered precipitation providing some relief. Conditions are rated as 13 per cent poor, 28 per cent fair, 56 per cent good, 4 per cent excellent, and 0 per cent excessive.
• Tame hay conditions are reported as 21 per cent poor, 27 per cent fair, 49 per cent good, and 3 per cent excellent.
• Fall-seeded crops are rated 15 per cent poor, 25 per cent fair, 61 per cent good and 0 per cent excellent.
Region Three: North East (Smoky Lake, Vermilion, Camrose, Provost)
• Seeding for all crops (major crops) is 36 (36) per cent complete, below the 5-year average of 53 (53) per cent.
• Sub-surface moisture is generally adequate to excessive, resulting in delayed field access. Conditions are rated as 10 per cent poor, 25 per cent fair, 52 per cent good, 11 per cent excellent, and 1 per cent excessive.
• Tame hay conditions are reported as 8 per cent poor, 52 per cent fair, 38 per cent good, and 2 per cent excellent.
• Fall-seeded crops are rated 0 per cent poor, 35 per cent fair, 66 per cent good, and 0 per cent excellent.
Region Four: North West (Barrhead, Edmonton, Leduc, Drayton Valley, Athabasca)
• Seeding for all crops (major crops) is 33 (33) per cent complete, below the 5-year average of 51 (51) per cent.
• Sub-surface moisture is variable but generally adequate, with conditions rated 4 per cent poor, 41 per cent fair, 30 per cent good, 24 per cent excellent, and 1 per cent excessive.
• Tame hay conditions are reported as 4 per cent poor, 53 per cent fair, 42 per cent good, and 1 per cent excellent.
• Fall-seeded crops are rated 8 per cent poor, 53 per cent fair, 39 per cent good, and 0 per cent excellent.
Region Five: Peace (Fairview, Falher, Grande Prairie, Valleyview)
• Seeding for all crops (major crops) is 33 (33) per cent complete, below the 5-year average of 51 (51) per cent.
• Sub-surface moisture remains uneven, with localized improvement from recent rainfall. Conditions are rated as 0 per cent poor, 1 per cent fair, 56 per cent good, 43 per cent excellent, and 1 per cent excessive.
• Tame hay conditions are reported as 33 per cent poor, 34 per cent fair, 30 per cent good, and 3 per cent excellent. • There are no reports on fall-seeded crops for the region.
