Published: June 09, 2008 11:32 pm         

Wheat crop in danger

While things are not as bad as they were last year, Garfield County wheat may begin to weaken if rain continues, said Oklahoma State University Extension educator Jeff Bedwell.

“(The rain) will take a toll on standing wheat or what remains in the field unless things dry up,” he said,

Wet conditions also increase the possibility of sprout damage in some varieties of wheat, he said. Also, continued rain and standing water may force wheat to lay down, making it harder to get off the ground, he said.

“It will take a while to get back in the fields with the moisture we’ve had. The wet soil will complicate sprouting issue like we had last year,” he said.

Some acres are flooded with water that has overflowed from creek channels, and grain on that land will not be retrieved at all, he said. Early test weights ranged from 62-65 pounds per bushel, which is considered good for wheat, but rain could cause test weights to go down. To be grade No. 1 and collect a higher price, wheat must be at least 60 pounds per bushel, according to U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture.

Bedwell said many Garfield County acres, , mostly in the northern two-thirds of the county, have not been cut. Along the southern part of the county line, in the Waukomis, Douglas and Covington areas, much of the wheat has been harvested. Bedwell said from U.S. 412 north, little has been cut and those areas also are where more rain has fallen.

The amount of rain and expectations for more later this week could prevent farmers from returning to their fields before next week, Bedwell said. In addition, cooler temperatures and less wind will slow drying.

“With the temperatures changing and the wind not high to help evaporate the moisture off, it could be five or six days before they can get back in the fields,” Bedwell said. “It’s not looking as bad as last year, but it does bring back some bad memories.”

In 2007, the wheat crop had been damaged by an April freeze and disease. Then, rain hit at harvest time, and much of the crop couldn’t be harvested. Statewide, farmers managed to bring in 98 million bushels, well below the average of 145-150 million bushels.

Freeze damage and disease are not present this year, but Bedwell said area wheat can’t take much more water. Some varieties will weather the rain better than others, he said, but there are some issues with sprouting in the heads.

If the rain continues and farmers cannot get into their fields to cut their wheat soon, it may be too late for a good crop, Bedwell said. Before the recent rain, experts had predicted a crop of 148.5 million bushels.