June 13, 2008

Rain cuts wheat test weights in Oklahoma

The test weight of Oklahoma's winter wheat crop lost about two pounds per bushel "around the state" due to recent heavy rains, the Oklahoma Wheat Commission said in an update Thursday (June 12, 2008).

But protein levels, which have been described as low, are improving as the wheat harvest resumes after weather delays, said Mark Hodges, executive director of the commission.

Recent rains suspended wheat cutting statewide, and wetness continues to delay harvest in northeastern and north-central areas, Hodges said in a harvest update. Producers in those areas hope to return to their fields by Saturday, he said.

Some areas have received anywhere from eight to 10 inches of rain the past week, Hodges said, adding that even if the wheat dry down, producers would still be fighting mud in the coming days. 

Cutters resumed their work Wednesday in western areas and were finishing up what was left in far southwestern Oklahoma, Hodges said. Test weights for wheat in the area were about 59 to 60 pounds per bushel, he said.

Harvest is about 95 percent complete in the southern third of the state, while cutting is just getting started in northwestern Oklahoma.

Protein levels, in general, are improving as new areas begin to harvest, Hodges said. Producers and elevator managers have previously pegged protein levels at around 11 percent.

"The overall average protein in the areas that are winding down are also improving," Hodges said.