Alberta's latest crop report shows the Provincial harvest is now three per cent complete.
The fall rye and winter cereal harvest is now at the halfway point in some areas. Farmers have started desiccating pulse crops, while other crops are just a few weeks away from maturity.
The warm weather is pushing crops out of flowering with spring cereals in the soft dough stage, and 98 per cent of major broadleaves now podding.
Harvest progress is most advanced in the South Region where five per cent is complete, the Central Region is at three per cent, the Peace Region is at two percent, the North West and North East Regions have less than one per cent of the crop combined.
Crop conditions continue to be impacted by the weather which is causing some deterioration. For the fourth consecutive week, the weekly crop report shows a drop in Provincial crop conditions with 44 per cent of crops now rated as good to excellent.
Crops in the South are rated as 60 per cent good to excellent, followed by the Peace at 54 per cent, the North East at 51 per cent, the North West at 29 per cent, and the Central Region with 21 per cent good to excellent.
In some areas, crops had some relief from the heat with light showers ( 3 mm to 15 mm ) being reported in the South, Central, North West and Peace Regions.
Overall surface and sub-surface soil moisture conditions remain a concern. Provincially, surface soil moisture is rated as 29 per cent poor, 39 per cent fair, 31 per cent good and two per cent excellent. Sub-surface soil moisture is currently rated as 32 per cent poor, 43 per cent fair, 24 per cent good, and one per cent excellent.
Regionally, surface soil moisture in the South is rated as 34 per cent good to excellent, the Central Region is at 27 per cent, the North East is 35 per cent. Surface soil moisture dropped 20 per cent from last week in the North West to 23 per cent, while surface moisture conditions in the Peace are at 48 per cent.