A string of cold overnight temperatures that dipped below freezing across much of the state recently shouldn’t have much effect on wheat harvest this June and July.
Most wheat stands are in good condition and the outlook for crop abandonment remains low at this point. Growers in Illinois boosted plantings by 130,000 acres last fall to a total of 700,000 acres statewide.
“The cold weather and freeze had relatively no impact, or minimal impact, on the crop,” said Matt Wehmeyer, vice president of AgriMAXX Wheat Company in Mascoutah (St. Clair County), who serves on the Illinois Wheat Association board. “The wheat generally looks good.”
Overall, the condition of the wheat crop rated 74% good to excellent as of April 4, the National Agricultural Statistics Service Illinois field office reported. That’s up 4 points from the previous week and a definite improvement from last year when 62% of the crop rated good to excellent as of the same date.
Farmers have been busy top dressing/fertilizing wheat in recent weeks, Wehmeyer noted. Two percent of the crop headed across the state as of April 4, slightly ahead of the average pace of 1%.
“We’re at critical growth stages (for the winter wheat crop) managing weeds and fertilizer and getting spring crops planted,” Wehmeyer said. “There’s a lot going on right now. It’s a fun time of year.”
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