May 14, 2007

 

Rains in US plains do not dampen wheat production outlook

 

 

Wheat in some parts of Oklahoma is laying down after heavy rains fell on the US southern plains for several days this week, although the region still has a strong production outlook, agronomists said.

 

"Significant areas of wheat" were beginning to lie down in various Oklahoma fields earlier this week, with the impact seen to be most apparent west of Stillwater, out to around Hennessey and then in central Oklahoma west of Oklahoma City, said Bob Hunger, professor of plant pathology and an extension wheat pathologist at Oklahoma State University.

 

"It's getting to the point where the wheat needs to get some sunny, dry weather to get on the track to maturing," Hunger said. "I don't think there's been any extreme damage at this point, but at some point, it's going to need to have some warm, drying temperatures to help it along."

 

In some wheat fields, "there's obviously water standing there," Hunger said. However, he noted he hadn't heard about any wheat being flooded out.

 

Wheat in low-lying areas was most at risk to be pushed over because of the moisture, said Roger Gribble, an OSU area agronomist in north-western Oklahoma. A small percentage of the plants lying down had stems weakened by a hard Easter weekend freeze, but most of the others were knocked down by the heavy rains, Gribble said.

 

"Usually, this early, (wheat) will stand back up if we dry up," he said. "If we continue with additional rain, then it will never stand back up and in those areas harvest will be greatly reduced."

 

Thundershowers brought up to one-half inch of rain to the eastern half of the southern plains wheat areas on Thursday, from southern Kansas to north-central Texas, according to DTN Meteorlogix. A drier weather pattern is in store for this coming weekend, followed by redeveloping thunder showers, with up to one inch of rain from Monday through Wednesday, the weather firm said.

 

Still, the Oklahoma crop remains on track for a strong production year, Gribble said. Although fungal diseases, including powdery mildew and leaf rust, have been spotted in many areas, the recent precipitation will not encourage their development any more, he said.

 

"The impact of those two diseases has already been made," Gribble said. "Those two are basically behind us now. We've taken some hits from the freeze and the disease, but I think Oklahoma is still above average."

 

In 2006, Oklahoma produced 81.6 million bushels of winter wheat, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The USDA estimates it will produce 161 million bushels in 2007. Harvest should begin around the end of May, agronomists said.

 

Steady showers also have fallen on Texas wheat fields this week, but growers won't see any problems from the moisture, said Brent Bean, extension agronomist at Texas A&M University. The moisture should be beneficial to the plants as they approach harvest, Bean said.

 

The USDA expects Texas to produce 132.6 million bushels of winter wheat in 2007, up from 33.6 million last year.

 

"Rains really are going to help us at this point," Bean said. "The wheat in Texas is really just excellent."

 

Kansas had "a few" wheat fields in the central part of the state near Salina that were flooded out by the recent rains, said Allan Fritz, a wheat breeder at Kansas State University. However, "in the overall scheme of things, it's not a significant area," Fritz said.

 

Growers with flooded fields were likely "thankful" because it means they can destroy their wheat, which was already damaged by the Easter freeze, and then replant, he added.

 

The moisture may encourage disease in the surviving wheat, Fritz said. So far, powdery mildew, leaf rust and trace amounts of stripe rust have been found in Kansas, agronomists said.

 

"In the central part of the state, we don't need any more rain for awhile," Fritz said. "Conditions that favour wheat growth are also going to favour disease."

 

Rain wouldn't be unwelcome in western Kansas, however, because that area didn't catch much moisture from the recent events, Fritz said.

 

The USDA pegged 2007 Kansas wheat production at 361 million bushels, up from 291.2 million last year.