By Nat Williams
BELLEVILLE, Illinois — Clouds, rain, wind and even hail accompanied many of those participating in an annual crop tour across Illinois’ Wheat Belt. It was a microcosm of the lousy weather that has hurt the crop in many areas.
The tour, organized by the Illinois Wheat Association, involved groups who drove across about 20 counties in Southern Illinois, stopping at random wheat fields to take measurements and assess crop conditions.
Based on tiller counts and other factors, the group projected an average yield of 63.5 bushels per acre. But as is often the case, plants could suffer from late-season disease pressure.
Some fields — many in the northwest part of the region — looked especially good. Others, at the other extreme, show little hope for high yields.
“There’s a lot of bushels to be had,” said Matt Wehmeyer of seed company AgriMAXX Wheat, whose group checked fields in St. Clair, Monroe and Randolph counties.
“We were very pleased with what we saw. I think you’re going to hear a lot of 90- to 100-bushel yields coming out of them.”
A group led by James Harper saw fields at the other end of the spectrum. He checked wheat in White, Gallatin, Saline, Williamson, Wayne, Hamilton and Jefferson counties.
“We didn’t have real good head counts,” Harper said. “Most fields appeared to have more than normal rust. Some fields had hardly any flag leaves that weren’t devastated.”
Read full story at thesouthern.com