The wheat crop endured its share of challenges in Illinois this spring.
But Matt Wehmeyer, member of the Illinois Wheat Association (IWA) board, remains optimistic about yield potential at many locations this upcoming harvest.
Wehmeyer discussed wheat conditions as he scouted the crop this week during IWA’s Southern Illinois Wheat Tour. The annual event was held the last two weeks of the month to allow time for individual scouting, rather than the traditional one-day caravan format, to maintain social distancing.
“It’s a little different this year. We sent out messages to all association members and volunteers who participated in the past to go out and collect samples independently,” said Wehmeyer, who farms in St. Clair County and serves as vice president/director of sales and marketing for AgriMAXX Wheat in Mascoutah. “It might turn into a good thing where we get a larger sample size from more counties. The tour gets boots on the ground so participants can report what they’re seeing in terms of disease pressure and yield potential.”
Final results of the tour will be released next week.
“We’ve had our fair share of weather challenges. It’s been a cool year with a lot of precipitation and spring freeze events,” he noted. “However, typically with cooler weather, wheat tends to do well. I think we might have a nice crop.”
Cooler temperatures can improve grain fill in wheat and help limit the spread of disease. Wehmeyer, who also grows corn and soybeans, looks for cases of freeze damage to be isolated to some early planted wheat fields or those with early-maturing varieties.
“The disease spectrum is a little on the light side,” he said. “Although we haven’t seen fusarium head blight development yet, that may be coming in a few weeks, if it is coming.”
USDA recently forecast a state wheat yield average of 72 bushels per acre, just 4 bushels off the state record set in 2017, despite this season’s weather challenges.
“The genetics play a key role in yield gains, coupled with environment and management,” Wehmeyer said. “Our goal is 100-bushel wheat for a farm average. We have a lot of growers hitting those levels and pushing yields higher.”
However, Illinois farmers planted fewer acres of wheat this year (570,000 acres compared to 650,000 acres last season) due to the late corn and soybean harvest last fall. USDA projects Illinois farmers will harvest 530,000 of those acres this summer.
“We had a mild winter. The crop maintained its growth and some of the late-planted fields were able to tiller out adequately,” Wehmeyer said.
He looks for harvest to begin around mid-June in southwest Illinois. Wheat heading reached 82% statewide as of May 24, 6 points ahead of last year but slightly behind the average of 87%.
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