Alberta’s 2025 crop is off to a flying start, with emergence and early development well ahead of schedule across the province — but dwindling moisture reserves are starting to cast a shadow.
According to the latest crop report, emergence for major crops has reached 95%, outpacing both the five-year (84%) and ten-year (86%) averages. Spring wheat and dry peas are nearly fully emerged (100%), while barley (96%), canola (89%), and oats (85%) are all well ahead of seasonal norms.
Crops aren’t just emerging fast — they’re developing faster than usual, too. Spring wheat and barley have already entered mid-tillering stages, when early tillering is more typical for this time of year. Oats are showing late-stage leaf development, again a jump ahead of the five- and ten-year benchmarks.
Dry Conditions Raising Red Flags
Despite the impressive start, soil moisture is not keeping pace, especially in deeper layers now crucial for sustaining the crop’s rapid development. Provincial surface moisture rated good-to-excellent sits at just 20%, far below the five- and ten-year average of 61%. Sub-surface moisture tells a similar story, with a good-to-excellent rating of 26%, compared to the five-year average of 56%.