Reports from farmers across the country show a mixed bag of wheat conditions. Recent favorable weather has helped to improve stands.
But, not all fields are fairing so well. Some farmers have or will be tearing up parts of their fields to try their hands at corn or soybeans.
Find out where you can find good, bad and ugly wheat fields.
The Good
In Vernon, Texas, producer Tanner McLennan says the wheat is looking good. “It is growing like crazy with the warm weather we have been having.”
Kyle Grimsrud, a farmer from Lewistown, Mont., says in his area the nightly freezing has finally ended, which is making the winter wheat grow significantly. “We don’t have an abundance of surface moisture, but the crops are fine for now,” he says. “It’s been a fairly dry spring, so even the most procrastinating farmers are getting some seeding in.”
The Bad
In eastern wheat country, Illinois farmer Ron Tombaugh says his projected yields are ranging from 17 to 32 bushels, which is well below insurance guarantee. This Livingston and LaSalle counties producer says it looks like he might be planting more corn.
“This is the fourth year in a row that I’ve torn up at least part, if not of my wheat crop. I’m going to rethink this strategy,” he says.
The Ugly
Another farmer, Ed Winkle of Blanchester, Ohio, will also be killing some of his wheat. Out of his 540 acres of soft red winter wheat, he will kill 160 acres to plant soybeans.
“The stand wasn’t adequate,” he says. “They don’t pay for this on enterprise units, the whole thing would have to qualify to destroy and it doesn’t. There is 10 bu. wheat and 80 bu. potential across these farms
Winkle says in southern Ohio, the small amounts of wheat look poor to excellent, a wide range of conditions.
For More Information
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What does your wheat look like? E-mail in your comments, photos or videos to WheatComments@agweb.com.
You can e-mail Sara Schafer at sschafer@farmjournal.com.
