Alberta Crop Report - August 20, 2024

Harvest has progressed around the province and is at 8 per cent complete for major crops, up 6 per cent from last week. This is above the 10-year average of 5 per cent, and slightly below the 5-year average. Harvest of major crops is most advanced in the South at 15 per cent complete (behind the 5-year average of 24 per cent), followed by the Central Region with 12 per cent complete (5-year average of 7 per cent), while the North West, North East, and Peace Regions all have less than 3 per cent complete (all near their historical average). Among major crops, harvest progress is furthest along for dry peas, with 47 per cent complete provincially, followed by barley, with 12 per cent. 

Major cereals are near the end of dough development and are starting to ripen for most of the province. This is only slightly ahead of the 5-year average. Major crops are rated 40 per cent good to excellent, below the 5- and 10-year average of 55 and 57 per cent, respectively. Crop conditions are rated the highest in the Peace (54 per cent good to excellent) and the South (52 per cent good to excellent), even though the South declined since last week. Conditions rated good to excellent in the Central (21 per cent good to excellent), North West (28 per cent good to excellent), and the Peace Regions are stable since last week. The North East Region (44 per cent good to excellent) declined by 6 per cent.  

Precipitation averaged less than 2 mm in eastern areas of the South and Central Regions, and ranged between 3 and 30 mm in the rest of the province. Areas in the Peace and the majority of the North West Region, received between 20 and 40 mm. A small strip of the Peace Region, received more than 50 mm. Precipitation in the North East Region, ranged from 3 mm to 50 mm, favouring the eastern half of the region. The majority of moderately high to very high (accumulation relative to long term normal) moisture has been received in the North West and Peace Regions. Most of the North East, Central, and South Regions, have received between low and near-normal precipitation. Surface soil moisture was stable provincially and saw small declines in the South, North West, and North East Regions, but increased in the Central and Peace Regions, by 2 and 6 per cent respectively. Provincial surface soil moisture (last week’s rating) is rated at 27 (39) per cent poor, 41 (29) per cent fair, 31 (31) per cent good, 2 (2) per cent excellent, and 0 (0) per cent excessive (Table 2). Sub-surface soil moisture rated good to excellent increased slightly in all regions, except the North East. Subsurface soil moisture for the province (last week’s rating) was rated 31 (32) per cent poor, 42 (43) per cent fair, 26 (24) per cent good, 1 (1) per cent excellent, and 0 (0) per cent excessive (Figure 1). 

Tame hay growth ratings dropped 2 per cent to 27 per cent good to excellent (Table 3). Regionally, tame hay conditions (5-year average) are rated as 28 (31) per cent good to excellent in the South, 11 (55) per cent good to excellent in the Central, 20 (52) per cent good to excellent in the North East, 26 (67) per cent good to excellent in the North West, and 58 (48) per cent good to excellent in the Peace Regions. Reports around the province, show that second cut growth has been minimal and many hay crops flowered at only 6-8 inches tall. Some areas are also still reporting cutting of poor yielding cereal crops to be used as a feed source.