Alberta farmers made their strongest harvest advance of the season during the final week of September, but the crop remained well behind the normal pace as October began.

The provincial harvest reached 60 per cent complete during the week ended Sept. 29, according to the latest Alberta crop report. That was an increase of 21 percentage points in one week.

Despite the rapid progress, harvest remained 26 percentage points behind the five-year provincial average.

Central Alberta was 68 per cent complete, ranking behind the south at 77 per cent but ahead of the northeast at 53 per cent, northwest at 46 per cent and Peace region at 45 per cent.

The central region includes much of east-central Alberta, where wet conditions and delayed crop development have slowed field work during parts of the growing season.

Field peas were the most advanced major crop at 97 per cent harvested province-wide. Barley was 79 per cent complete, spring wheat 73 per cent, oats 52 per cent and canola 31 per cent.

The canola figure means a large share of one of Alberta’s most valuable crops was still in the field as producers entered a period of shorter days and greater frost, rain and snow risk.

Regional and crop totals can vary considerably among individual farms. Progress depends on crop maturity, local rainfall, field access, drying capacity and the number of harvestable hours available between weather systems.

The report does not provide final production, grade or farm-income results. Those will depend on the quantity and quality delivered after harvest, local basis levels and the prices producers receive.

Moisture conditions were substantially better than the long-term provincial comparison. Surface soil moisture was rated good or excellent on 68 per cent of land, while five per cent was rated excessive.

Subsurface moisture was rated good or excellent on 65 per cent of land. The five-year average for that measure is 28 per cent.

Central Alberta had the province’s lowest good-or-excellent subsurface rating at 53 per cent. The region’s surface moisture was rated adequate on 57 per cent of land and excessive on two per cent.

The improved soil-moisture reserve may benefit pasture, winter cereals and next year’s crop, but excessive moisture can delay harvest and increase drying, quality and storage concerns for grain already mature.

Fall-seeded crops were rated 75 per cent good or excellent, 30 percentage points above the five-year average.

The next crop report will show whether producers were able to maintain the late-September pace. Local conditions, crop quality and the amount of grain requiring drying will remain important as harvest continues.